The Curse of the Demon Idol
by A Cubed25
Summary: According to Zamorakian legend, an idol with untapped power that has the ability to allow Zamorak passage into Gielinor exists. A group of brave adventurers decide to prevent this. Rated T for minor language, some blood, and violence. Now complete!
1. The Exchange

**Author's Note: Hi, everybody! This is my very first fanfiction, so no flames, please! However, I do encourage reviews. Anyway, let's get to the point. This is a story that involves my RuneScape avatar, along with the avatars of some of my friends. This story is written as if this were not a game, just to give you all a heads-up. Without further ado, let the adventure begin!**

**disclaimer: I do not own RuneScape or any of the characters. They are the sole property of Jagex Ltd; this is only for entertainment purposes.**

**The Curse of the Demon Idol**

Chapter One: The Exchange

The cool night air was blowing in a still and eerie manner. A man with dark brown hair sporting a navy blue shirt, black trousers, leather boots, a black-red cape, and a mask as black as coal that reached from his forehead to the bridge of his nose was rushing through the night. He was carrying a steel dagger in a small scabbard fastened around his waist along with a beige satchel. This suspicious individual was running swiftly through the barren, seemingly dead landscape complete with skeletal corpses, torrid lava pits and dead trees. After running for a while he saw it. The place he was looking for was in his sights. He ran up to the entrance, which consisted of a strip of land that acted like a bridge leading up to it over a crater of lava. The two sentries standing at the entrance were dressed like him and were carrying steel swords.

"There you are, Travis. He's been waiting for you," said one of them in a deep voice. With that, they allowed him passage into the village.

* * *

Travis walked through the village until he reached the general store. He entered, and he immediately set eyes upon a mysterious man wearing a hooded red cloak with wide sleeves, who had the hood covering his face so that only his mouth could be seen. "Lock the door," the man said icily. He did, and after that he didn't bother mincing words.

"Okay, I'm here and I have the object we agreed upon. Now where are those one mil gold pieces you promised?" demanded the thief.

"You will get your money once I see it," the cloaked man retorted. Travis let out a sigh, and he hastily removed an object wrapped in brown paper from his satchel. He placed it onto a table in the middle of the room, and unwrapped it. It was a red, idol-like item that resembled a demon with wings, and it was holding a piece of onyx in its hands. The cloaked stranger was about to go pick it up with a devious smile on his face when out of nowhere, the door was kicked open by another unknown individual.

"Don't even THINK about taking that! It belongs to the Varrock Museum, you scumbags!" shouted the intruder, as he raised his sword into the air and held up his shield in front of him, revealing a dragon insignia. On closer inspection, Travis made out the person as an adventurer; he was wearing Torag's platebody, dragon platelegs, dragon boots and Barrows gloves. A Legend's cape was slung on his back and a slayer helmet was being worn on his head. He wielded a dragon scimitar and a dragon square shield as weapons. Along with these was a dragon dagger seeped in superpoison (p++) in a scabbard around his waist.

"How the hell did you get in here, and who are you?" roared the cloaked man. Travis looked at the adventurer with concern as he eyed the red, jagged blade in the hero's right hand. The adventurer let out a brief, manly laugh.

"I used a lock pick, of course! My thieving skills are pretty good. To answer your second question, I am Ron Destiny, Adventurer Extraordinaire! I am here to take back that idol!" he declared heroically, pointing his sword at the object. The cloaked stranger did not seem to be impressed. He coolly strode toward Ron until he was about a foot or two away from him.

"Well then," he said in a low voice, "I'd like to see you try." Travis walked next to the man and drew his dagger. The cloaked stranger drew a rune dagger from one of his sleeves. Ron laughed again, wondering how daggers could possibly inflict massive damage on his armor.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," the cloaked man said coldly, "you have no idea whom you're dealing with." Ron ignored this statement and charged at the stranger. Travis quickly jumped in front of him and stabbed at Ron. The adventurer dodged the attack and slashed the thief across the chest two or three times, making deep, bloody gashes. He fell to the floor. Within seconds, Travis the Thief was dead. The cloaked stranger just cackled at this.

"He was just a delivery boy. I never considered him an ally," he stated heartlessly. He then lunged at the adventurer and as fast as lightning, he was behind him and had his dagger held up to Ron's throat. The hero in response dropped his weapon, and it fell to the floor with a dismal clatter. Just when Ron's life was flashing before him he heard a whipping noise, followed by a yelp. His would-have-been assassin staggered backward into a bookcase and slid down it to the floor, unconscious. Ron was bewildered by this and turned around to see who saved him.

"C'mon, Ron—do I have to save you from EVERYTHING?" a familiar voice asked. Standing in front of him was none other than Alwaysanoob5 (a.k.a. Pete to Ron), a good friend of his and a more experienced fighter than he. He wielded an Abyssal whip and an Obsidian shield as his armaments. He had a Bandos chestplate, Bandos tassets, and dragon boots on. He also had a fire cape on his back and a slayer helmet identical to Ron's on his head. "It is foolish to run off and do these kinds of things alone! When I saw you jump over the wilderness trench in Edgeville, I decided to follow you after I heard you were chasing a thief with a precious artifact from the Varrock Museum."

Ron was relieved about Pete's arrival, or else he would have been dead. "Yeah, I know. Thanks for the save. Anyway, let's get this thing back to the museum," Ron said, walking over to the statuette on the table. Just then, the cloaked man regained consciousness. When he saw the two adventurers he jumped up onto his feet, inserting his weapon back into his sleeve.

"This is not over," he growled evilly, "I will have my revenge!" He then made his escape by teleporting in a flash of red light.

"Who the hell was that?" asked Pete.

"I don't know. He's probably a follower of Zamorak because of his red robes," Ron responded.

"Okay, we'll deal with him later if we can. For now, let's get out of here before something else happens," suggested Pete. "Also be sure to take that idol with us."

"Right," agreed Ron, picking up and sheathing his scimitar, and removing his helmet as well. He grabbed the statuette and slipped it into his bag, along with his helmet. The two friends then left the village and ventured into the wilderness toward Edgeville.

**AN: Sorry if this is a little on the short side, but tell me what you think of it! I'd really appreciate it. Also tell me if there are any grammar or spelling mistakes. I checked over both several times, but things can happen!**


	2. The Significance of the Demon Idol

**AN: This is the next chapter of my story, so enjoy!**

**disclaimer: I still do not own any RuneScape characters or places.**

Chapter Two: The Significance of the Demon Idol

Morning had just arrived. The two adventurers walked out of the village of bandits and were walking toward Edgeville, a small town bordering the wilderness. Their pace was casual as the stones in the dirt were crunching noisily beneath their feet. They stayed quiet for a while, and then Pete suddenly broke the silence.

"How did you get into this mess involving that thief and the weird Zamorakian? I'd like to hear your story," he said as he fumbled with his whip.

"Well," started Ron, "I was walking past the Varrock Museum when I heard someone shout, 'Stop, thief!' I turned around and saw a shady character running out of the building toward the wilderness, and I saw a museum guard yelling after him. I decided to give chase, being the bold adventurer I am. When I got there, I had to battle my way through groups of thieves but they were no big deal. After that, I tried to get into the general store but the door was locked. So I rummaged through my bag and found a lock pick. I then used it, and busted open the door. After that, I got into a little skirmish and killed the thief who was with the Zamorakian. Then he maneuvered behind me and was about to slit my throat when you arrived. That's basically everything up to the point when you saved me." When Ron finished, Pete was gaping at him.

"Really? That's what happened? I wonder why a common wilderness thief would steal for someone he didn't even know?" He paused for a moment. "He was probably bribed," concluded Pete, before Ron could answer. He nodded in agreement instead. As he finished his statement, the duo was at the wilderness trench. Once they jumped over it, they were in Edgeville. Both were glad to finally be back to civilization. They walked into the nearby bank and traversed through crowds of other adventurers who were either conversing with others or accessing their accounts, to a table near a window and sat down across from each other. Ron took his bag out and placed it on the tabletop. He took out the idol, being careful not to let anyone else see it and showed it to his friend as Pete removed his helmet and put it into his bag.

"I think it would be a good idea to show this to Reldo in the Varrock castle library because he could probably tell us a few things about the significance of this thing," he proposed, lifting the idol slightly off the table. "Then we can return it to the museum."

"Good idea; let's go," responded Pete. Almost immediately after Ron inserted the statuette back into his bag, he heard another voice. This one was feminine and enthusiastic. He turned his head in the direction of the source.

"Ron Destiny, is that you? Wow, I haven't seen you in a while!" A girl was jogging toward and waving at the two friends. She was donning a rune full helm, a dragon plateskirt and a rune platebody. She was also bearing a rune scimitar in a scabbard and a rune kiteshield in her left hand. Ron stood up with awe in his eyes. This person was Jenney59, whom he befriended when he first arrived in Gielinor. She took off her helmet, revealing pretty blue eyes and shoulder-length blond hair, and put both it and her kiteshield away into her carry-on; she then embraced Ron for a couple seconds, and he returned it with one arm. "It's nice to see you again," she said quietly.

"Back at 'cha," Ron answered back as she pulled away. "Jenney, you remember my partner Pete, right?" She nodded, smiling at him. "Well, he and I must go to the library to visit Reldo about something important. Would you like to come? However, you must promise one thing: Will you keep what we're trying to find out about a secret?" Jenney giggled.

"Okay, my lips are sealed," she promised. Ron looked at Pete as if to say, "Do you trust her?" He nodded, and the trio made their way through the congested bank to the exit and set off to the neighboring city of Varrock.

* * *

Varrock is a large city that is the ideal place for adventurers to stop during whatever quest they may be on. There are many shops, a museum, two banks, a bunch of houses, a castle and more. There are also two rival gangs, known as Phoenix and Black Arms, that both have headquarters stationed in the bad part of town. The popularity of this city is mostly due to a place next to King Roald's castle called the Grand Exchange. It is a place similar to Wall Street in the respect that it's crowded, but it's not stock one is buying. Rather, items useful to one's journey can be purchased here from other adventurers. The three friends strode briskly through the dense area because they wanted to get to the library as quickly as possible, along with the fact that the large masses of people were overwhelming. When they arrived at the front doors of the castle, a guard dressed in chainmail and a medium helmet grasping a halberd stopped them.

"Halt! What business do you have here?" he demanded sternly, with authority in his eyes. Jenney was the first to pipe up.

"Excuse me sir, but we need to visit Reldo about something very, VERY important," she stated innocently. The guard's eyes relaxed.

"All right, you can go in but I'll have my eye on you!" he replied. They thanked him, entered and walked toward the library. When they arrived, Reldo, a knowledgeable man who wore glasses, immediately noticed them.

"Ah, welcome, welcome! How may I be of assistance?" the scholar asked warmly. Ron answered for the group.

"We have this artifact that was stolen from the Varrock museum by a thief from the wild," he explained, showing the artifact to him, "do you happen to know anything about it?" Reldo gazed at the object incredulously.

"I… I don't believe it…" he stuttered as if it weren't real. "That is the demon statuette that I've read about in my books before! Hold on—I may have a book or two lying around concerning that." He went over to one of his many bookcases and skimmed the shelves. "Aha! Here it is!" He removed a book titled _Zamorakian Lore and Legends_. He opened it and started to read. "According to this, that thing you are holding is called the Demon Idol. It is said that if Zamorak were to touch it, whether directly or indirectly, its power would open the portal to his heinous realm and all his malicious, corrupted creatures will be able to cause widespread destruction on all of Gielinor." The group of three just stared, with their mouths hanging open at the scholar. Reldo regarded each of them with reassurance.

"Not to worry! You guys look skilled and strong enough to avoid something like this. Is there a reason why you are so worried?" This time, Pete spoke.

"Yeah, my friend here," he ushered at Ron, "ran into a bit of trouble out in the wild. The thief he mentioned earlier apparently made a deal with some sort of Zamorakian follower that involved that idol." Reldo looked shocked.

"Well now, that does not sound pleasant at all! I suggest you return that to the museum now just in case that man tries to ambush you to get it back." The team heeded his advice. They thanked him for his help and hastily exited the castle.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the region of Morytania, a swamp-like part of Gielinor across from the River Salve that has the constant scent of Zamorakian evil in every bit of air stands the village of Canifis, a village of vicious werewolves. Within this village, there is a trapdoor behind the Hair of the Dog Tavern. Underneath this lies a shortcut into the Mort Myre swamp. Also in here was a recently established altar covered in blood-red cloth with a symbol that looked like a curvy "M" on top of it. Incense burners were on both sides of it and they were secreting a pungent, foul odor. In front of this was the mysterious cloaked man in the Zamorakian robes, and he was kneeling before the altar. Out of nowhere a voice of pure evil spoke.

"You are my most trusted follower, Alzorf. However, it has come to my attention that you failed in retrieving the one item that will help me cause rancorous subjugation on Gielinor." The man started to shift uncomfortably.

"I… I'm sorry, Master Zamorak! I beg of you, please give me another chance!" he pleaded, "I promise I won't fail you again!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just kill you right where you kneel," the voice hissed in a calm, yet malicious tone.

"You should spare me because if you strike me down, who else will free you and your minions from your dimensional prison?" the man asked shakily. The voice sighed.

"You make a good point... all right. I'll give you one more chance, but heed my warning! If you fail me again, I SHALL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

"I won't fail you again, master. I will make sure I get what is rightfully yours from those pesky adventurers," he said with confidence as he got up and climbed up the ladder into the murky atmosphere of Morytania.

**AN: So, what did you think? Pretty suspenseful, huh? Review, please!**


	3. Trouble's Brewing

**AN: I said chapter three would be here, so here it is! Sorry it took so long.**

Chapter 3: Trouble's Brewing

"I sure hope we don't run into that Zamorakian on the way to the museum," anticipated Ron as they walked out of the castle grounds and into Varrock Square. This area contains a newspaper stand, a fur stand, a gypsy's tent, a general store and a staff shop. To top this all off is an exquisite stone fountain in the middle of the square. This decorative object has two intersecting bridges going across it. Four hoses protruding from the sides release flowing water into little pools at the base. It is common for adventurers to congregate here to meet their buddies. The three comrades went east, toward the Varrock Museum.

"Don't worry. If he does come, I'll be ready for him!" exclaimed Pete, lashing his whip out in front of him. Jenney and Ron laughed as they arrived at the museum's front doors. Ron got the doorman's attention, who was wearing a burgundy suit and pants. Along with these were a burgundy hat and a black tie.

"Pardon me, sir. Was something stolen from here last night?" he asked.

"Why, yes. I shifty individual ran off with something that we've been keeping under tight surveillance," the doorman said, "I shouted after him, but he was gone within a short amount of time." Ron took the Demon Idol out of his bag and presented it to the doorman.

"Is this it? I chased the thief through the wild and got it back," Ron explained. The doorman's face lit up with a feeling of both relief and joy.

"Wonderful! You have it! I get to keep my job after all!" he said excitedly, "Go inside and show it to the curator." He bowed and opened the door for them. They smiled and went inside. When they were over the threshold, they saw a middle-aged man dressed in fancy attire, which included a black suit and a monocle. He was nervously staring into an empty glass case, as if he were in a trance. When the trio approached him, he immediately turned around as if he were expecting them.

"Is that…" he started, "it is! It's the statuette that was stolen from here the previous night! I must thank you for your assistance. Here are the three million coins I was offering as a reward for finding it." He took out three brown pouches of gold and offered them to the three adventurers. "Go on! Take them! Don't be shy!" They accepted their rewards after a bout of hesitancy and modesty. Ron then handed over the idol. The curator replaced the artifact where it belonged. "I'll see if I can persuade the king to station some soldiers here, just in case any more dangerous thieves try to steal it again." He removed his pocket watch from his pocket to check the time. "Oh dear, It's nearly noon! I'm going to be late for my staff meeting! Please excuse me, gentlemen and gentle lady," as he quickly closed the lid on his watch. He hastily walked across the room and went up a nearby wooden staircase. Pete eyed his award with a slightly greedy gaze.

"Ha! There's enough cash here for me to get more cash! Saradomin Godsword, here I come!" he declared loudly, as his voice echoed off the walls.

"This is going straight into my bank account," said Ron. Jenney decided to do the same.

"Mine will too," she said.

"Hey, I'm getting hungry. How about we all go to the Blue Moon Inn for lunch?" Pete suggested. "It's on me!"

"Okay, but I want to deposit my money first," replied Ron.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in Canifis:_

Alzorf exited the trapdoor and walked around to the front door of the Hair of the Dog Tavern, a bar that serves "delicacies" like moonlight mead and pickled brain. He entered, and approached Roavar, the bartender.

"You there! I'd like a glass of moonlight mead, please." The werewolf regarded him blissfully.

"Ah, it's always a pleasure to serve a fellow Zamorakian! That'll be five gold coins, please." Alzorf placed the money into his outstretched hand. "Thank you. Here's your drink!" Roavar gave the Zamorakian a glass mug of strange, white liquid.

"I have a proposition for you," Alzorf said in a scheming tone, after he took a swig of the mead. "Would you and your friends be interested in helping me recover something of great significance?" Roavar thought for a moment.

"What are you trying to obtain?" he asked. "My pals and I may be interested if you answer me that." Alzorf cackled.

"My dear werewolf, I'm attempting to get something that belongs to our master, Zamorak." He drank some more of his beverage. This statement convinced the bartender.

"I'd do anything to help our master. However, I cannot leave this place. I must continue my duties here. How about I tell you about some friends of mine who may be interested?"

"I believe I can settle for that. Where do I find these individuals?" Alzorf requested.

* * *

Ron, Pete and Jenney were strolling down Varrock's southern road, toward the Blue Moon Inn. It didn't take them long to get there. When they were about to walk in, Pete spotted a suspicious figure wearing a hooded cape on the other side of the southern entrance gate. He unlatched his Abyssal whip from his belt and lashed it outward.

"Hey! You! What are you doing there?" he bellowed. He started to run as fast as he could to the gate, continuing to shout at the figure as it started to run away.

"Wait, Pete! It may be a trap!" Ron yelled. He and Jenney drew their swords and chased after him. When they got to the entrance, they noticed that the two guards stationed there were both dead with deep, bloody claw marks on their torsos. Jenney sniffled and laid her head on Ron shoulder with tears in her eyes.

"Why this? They were just doing their jobs!" she sobbed. Ron wasn't pleased at this gory sight.

"It's okay Jenney," he consoled, rubbing her back. His tone then changed. "Let's get that thing for what it did here, before it gets away!" he fumed. She nodded and wiped the tears from her face. They went to go catch up with Pete, who was headed for Draynor Village via the path to Lumbridge. On the way, someone named Rock Lord11 stopped him and Jenney. He was a friend of Ron's since they were kids. He possessed a dragon longsword in a scabbard on his back, and a rune warhammer attached to his belt. He donned a rune platebody, rune platelegs, a dragon medium helmet, dragon boots, and carried a rune kiteshield.

"What's the rush, Ron? Is something wrong?" he questioned. He seemed curious.

"Sorry, Rock Lord. I don't have time to talk. My friend is chasing someone suspicious, whom he saw at the Varrock entrance gate."

"Maybe I can help?" he offered, drawing his blade. "I believe I'm experienced enough." How could Ron refuse?

"All right, you can come along. I _have_ known you for a long time," he replied. "We must get to Lumbridge, then to Draynor. Pete is pursuing the person that way."

"Okay, what're we waiting for? Let's get going!" exclaimed Rock Lord. The three adventurers then ran off down the road to Lumbridge.

* * *

Back in Canifis, Alzorf was yet again kneeling before the Zamorak altar. "I have a plan to rid us of those fools and recover your idol, master," he stated. Zamorak was partially impressed.

"I'm pleased that you have a plan to carry this out, but it better work! Otherwise, I will be forced to eliminate you," he threatened icily.

"No need to worry, master. I was able to acquire a team of werewolves to help me with this task. They are vicious beings indeed. I sent one to Varrock to scout out the area. They should be an asset to my efforts," he explained.

"That _is _true. I had no regrets when I created them," Zamorak boasted. "I now have confidence in you, since you have them at your disposal. Those vermin have no idea about the dangers they are going to face…"

**AN: I'll bet this looks like another cliffhanger! I'll post chapter four whenever I can.**


	4. Werewolf Showdown

**AN: Here's chapter four! Sorry if it's too short for some of you. There's quite a bit of action in it, though. I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter Four: Werewolf Showdown

"Come here and fight me, whoever or whatever you are!" roared Pete, as he pursued the hooded figure north through Lumbridge, then west on the Lumbridge-Draynor path. The figure ignored him and continued to run toward Draynor. Some passing adventurers looked at the scene curiously. Others just neglected it and continued on their way.

Meanwhile, Ron, Jenney and Rock Lord were attempting to catch up with him, but they were unsuccessful when they came to a crossroads.

"Dammit!" cursed Ron, looking swiftly in all four directions. "Where in the name of Guthix did they go?" Jenney walked over to Ron and placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't distress yourself over it. We'll find them, I promise," she said calmly. The tension in Ron's body waned. Rock Lord then interjected a recommendation.

"It's plausible that they went to Draynor Manor. After all, it is a pretty creepy place; creepy enough for werewolves to hide in." He was pointing his weapon at the east path, which led to the gloomy woods surrounding the estate.

"That's a likely possibility, the more I think about it," answered Ron. "Why didn't I think of that?" From there, they hustled into the apparently dead woods that surrounded Draynor Manor.

* * *

"Pete! Pete! Where did you go?" The party of three was having an awfully hard time finding their friend. A thick, bizarre fog had just settled among the bare, seemingly moving trees. After a brief moment, however, the trio heard growling and groans of pain. They sprinted toward the source, which was behind the building. They laid their sights first on Pete. He was barely conscious sitting up against the house, and he possessed the same claw marks on his chest that the Varrock guards had. They glared at the figure. It slipped off its hood, revealing a canine snout, pointed ears and piercing red eyes.

"You vile beast! What the hell did you do to him? Answer me!" interrogated Ron. "If you don't, my two friends and I will have to kill you." He raised his scimitar to the level of his chest. The werewolf just snickered at his demand.

"You are in no position to order me around, you filthy human! I too have friends. Come on out, guys!" he called. He appeared to be the group leader. A group of ten or so werewolves stepped out from behind a few trees, and surrounded the three warriors. "I will be the one asking the questions now. Where is the Demon Idol?" he demanded. Ron decided to play dumb.

"I have no clue what you're talking about," he retorted. The werewolf did not believe him.

"Don't lie to me. I know you know! Now tell me, or else!" he barked. The group of wolf-men and wolf-women began edging slowly toward the three adventurers, their claws barred.

"Don't… tell him… anything…" they heard Pete say weakly.

"Shut your mouth!" snarled the leader.

"Stand your ground, we can take them!" yelled Rock Lord. He, Ron and Jenney raised their shields and swords in front of themselves. The werewolf leader considered this gesture a challenge.

"If you would rather die than be captured, then be my guest! Destroy them!" he ordered, as several of his followers lunged and slashed at the trio.

Ron felt the force of the durable claws of one of them bang against his shield. He reacted by rapidly swiping his scimitar at the creature several times across the torso. It yelped and fell to the ground, deceased. Another one caught him off guard and knocked his weapon out of his hand. He drew his super-poisoned dagger and stabbed it a few times. The poison quickly penetrated its body and killed it within minutes.

Rock Lord blocked one attack with his shield and jump-slashed the beast. It fell onto its back as a result. He finished it off by jumping into the air and driving the tip of his blade straight through its heart. Like with Ron, another werewolf unexpectedly attacked and disarmed him. He detached his warhammer from his waist and bashed its head constantly until it perished.

Jenney was handling herself well. She managed to parry some attacks and cut down a werewolf or two with a few fast blows from her scimitar. She was a strong and skilled fighter, despite her gender.

After their little skirmishes there were only five werewolves left, the leader and four others. "I've had enough of this foolishness! I'm ending this now!" The werewolf leader charged at the three warriors, but then stumbled and fell forward as a silver crossbow bolt nailed him squarely in the chest. "Where… the hell… did that… come from?" he wheezed, clutching the spot where he was intercepted. The four other followers turned their attention to their leader. Pete was holding up a rune crossbow with one arm.

"I won't… let you… hurt them…" he sputtered, as he let both his arm and crossbow hit the ground at the same instant. Thinking on his feet, Ron rushed over to Pete and grabbed his crossbow and four silver bolts. He loaded it and shot the four others while they were distracted. They all suffered a slow, painful death. Afterward, he inserted it back into Pete's bag and beckoned his friends over to help him.

"Pete, it's okay. We're going to get you some medical attention," Ron said, trying to comfort him. "Rock Lord, get his legs. I'll get his arms," Jenney glimpsed over Ron's shoulder."

"Guys, look over there! They look like soldiers!" She was pointing in the distance. Sure enough, a team of six knights equipped with white armor were marching toward them. Five of them were wielding white kiteshields and white longswords. One was carrying a white two-handed sword.

"Is everyone alright?" asked the one with the two-hander, removing his helmet. "We received a message from the monk in the chapel at the River Salve that some werewolves crossed the river into Varrock. We then received another from Lumbridge explaining that a suspicious individual was being chased toward Draynor by someone. Sorry we arrived too late. It took some time for the messages to reach Falador."

"It's not a problem, sir. We got involved in a battle with these ones here, and most of us are fine," explained Ron, gesturing at the corpses lying near their feet. "Also, my friend is in dire need of medical assistance. Can you help him, please?"

"Of course we can. You two rush him back to the castle," the knight ordered, pointing at two soldiers. The two knights firmly grasped Pete's limbs and carefully hulled him away. "May I know your names, please?" the white knight requested, turning back to the adventurers. "I'm Captain Gaia, by the way."

"Jenney."

"Rock Lord."

"Ron."

"Ron? That name sounds familiar. Aren't you a Temple Knight, Proselyte rank? I heard you helped us with the Black Knights and mind-controlling sea slugs."

"I am, but I really don't involve myself with that stuff very much anymore. I prefer to do my own thing."

"I understand. Anyway, it would be wise to leave now. Being here any longer may arouse suspicion. You can come by Falador Castle and check on your friend anytime you like." On that note, the captain put his helmet back on and directed his men to follow him back to Falador. Ron, Rock Lord and Jenney walked back to the crossroads. Rock Lord had an expression on his face that indicated realization.

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! My friend Tru34zn and I were supposed to go kalphite hunting today! I'll catch you guys later!" He waved and left.

"C'mon, Jenney. Let's go to my house and have some lunch. Then we can go visit Pete. Does that sound like a plan?" Ron asked.

"Okay," she said. "Where do you live again?"

"My house is in Taverly now. I found Rimmington to be distasteful," Ron admitted. "It'll be much easier if we teleported there. I have an air rune, an earth rune and a law rune," he confirmed, searching through his bag. "Are you able to teleport to Falador?" Jenney checked her carry-on.

"Yeah, I have the required runes, so I'll be fine. I'll meet you there!" The two then cast their spells and disappeared in a flash of light.

**AN: Well, there you have it. What do you think? Reviews would be greatly appreciated!**


	5. A Brief Sojourn

**AN: Here it is, chapter five! I have nothing special to say, so let's get on with the story!**

Chapter Five: A Brief Sojourn at Ron's House and Falador Castle

The city of Falador is not as big as Varrock, but it has some useful facilities. One such location is Falador Park, where people can buy bagged plants or trees for their own personal gardens. Also in this park is Sir Tiffy Cashien, the head of recruitment for the Temple Knights, who is peacefully sipping tea on a bench. Suddenly, a pillar of light shot down from the sky into Falador Square, right in front of the statue of Saradomin. When it faded, Jenney was standing there.

_I'd better get to Ron's house. He's expecting me,_ she thought. She briskly went over to the entrance gates and walked out, passing up the bronze sword-bearing guards. She observed that there were a decent number of adventurers on the road to Taverly today. When she reached the entrance to Taverly, she saw that the gates were already open. She walked straight through, into the village of druids.

* * *

She followed the path to a stone frame with a purple portal in its cavity. She entered it and shouted, "Ron Destiny!" After a weird feeling and a flash of blinding light, she found herself in a garden. It was complete with all sorts of plants, trees, an imp fountain and a pond. As she approached the tropical wood house she spotted Alathazdrar, Ron's demon servant. He had red skin and wore a vest, formal pants and a white apron.

"Good day, miss," he said politely, bowing to her. "I take it you're Ron's friend, Jenney?" She nodded, and he replied, "Right this way." He took her through the foyer and the kitchen, into the quest hall. It contained a mahogany bookcase and a Legend's cape on one wall, a medium-sized map of Gielinor and the demon-slaying sword Darklight on the opposite wall, and portraits of Morytania and Elena on the adjacent wall. Jenney followed the servant up some teak stairs into the skill hall. It didn't have much, just a rune case containing nature, body, cosmic, and chaos runes along with a stuffed basilisk head. Alathazdrar led her into the dining room, which had a nicely carved mahogany table, two mahogany benches, oak wall decorations of horse heads on the wall across from the doorway, a servant-calling bell on the wall where the doorway was, and a limestone fireplace. Sitting on one of the benches was none other than Ron, with his arms spread out over the tops of the two seats on both sides of him.

"I'm glad you could make it, Jenney," he said, his azure orbs examining her. "Please, take a seat." She smiled at him and ambled over to the bench across from him. then sat down. He then set his eyes on his butler. "Alathazdrar, would you be so kind as to bring us each a bowl of curry and some tea?" The butler bowed.

"Yes, master," he acknowledged. "Curry is my specialty, after all." He turned and left the room. Ron got up and grabbed a tinderbox and a set of logs from his bag. He then put the logs in the fireplace and set them ablaze. The fire started to crackle tranquilly in the grate. He sat back down afterward.

"So Jenney, I'm thinking that after we're done here, we should head out to Falador and check on Pete," he proposed.

"I'm okay with that," she replied. Just then, Alathazdrar came back in with a tray, carrying two bowls of curry and two cups of tea. He placed it in the middle of the table and bowed once more before exiting. Ron took a bowl of curry and a cup of tea from the tray. Jenney took hers as well.

"How's it taste?" Ron asked, as Jenney took a sip of her meal. "My servant makes excellent cuisine." He tried some of his too.

"It's spicy but good," she responded. "Not to change the subject, but how much do you pay your butler for his services?"

"I pay him 10,000 coins for every eight tasks he does for me. He's the best one you can get." Ron consumed some more of his food.

"I see." Jenney finished her soup. "Wow! This stuff really fills you up! Thanks for lunch!"

"Aw, don't mention it, Jen. It was no trouble. Anyway, let's go to Falador so we can visit Pete," Ron said as he finished his curry. He got out of his seat and rang his servant bell. Alathazdrar was there in less than one minute.

"What is thy bidding, master?" he requested, bowing.

"Take these dishes into the kitchen and wash them, please," Ron ordered.

"They shall be as clean as a whistle," the servant said, as he put the dishes onto the tray and brought them downstairs.

The pair went downstairs and into the foyer. Ron paused, turned to Jenney, and then spoke.

"It would be quicker if we used one of my portal chambers to get there. Follow me—it's right next to my Guthix chapel. He led her through a room that contained a cloth-covered altar, a Guthix icon, two golden candlesticks on either side of the altar, wind chimes, and two small druid statues on either side of the doorway. He then took her out a nearby door and into a room containing three portals. One was green, another was purple and the third was blue. "Come this way, Jen." He grabbed her hand and they went through the purple portal simultaneously.

* * *

Jenney held on to Ron's arm as the weird sensation of teleportation was trying to get the best of her. Eventually, their feet hit solid ground. They were in Falador Square, in front of the Saradomin statue. They then walked north, toward the castle. They crossed a bridge and entered the castle's courtyard. Here, there were many knights patrolling the area. One of them spotted the pair and approached them. He took off his helmet, and they recognized him as Captain Gaia.

"Hi there, captain! Let me guess: All this extra security is because of the occurrence at Draynor Manor earlier?" asked Ron. The captain nodded.

"That is correct. There's a chance that there are more of those beasts, and they may be planning a siege on this place," he explained. "Let's cut to the chase now. I believe you're here to visit your friend? If that's the case, follow me." He entered the double doors nearby. Ron and Jenney followed the knight to the infirmary, which was on the first floor. There, Pete was lying on a bed located against a wall. His torso was wrapped in bandages, and his armor removed. Captain Gaia stayed by the door, while the duo rushed over to their friend. He turned his brown eyes on them.

"Hey guys," he said tiredly, "how's it going? I'm hanging in there."

"We're doing alright. We just stopped at my place for lunch," Ron said.

"Well, that's good. I want to get back at those damned werewolves for what they did to me! I don't normally belong here!" Pete shouted, rising up from his covers. He winced in pain from his rant.

"Settle down Pete," said Jenney, gently pushing him back against his pillows. "You need rest if you want to fully recover!"

"She's right, Pete. You're injured, so you should lie low for a while," said Ron. Pete put his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

"I guess you're right. I hope it doesn't take a long time for me to become well, though."

* * *

_Meanwhile, in front of the Dark Wizard's Tower outside Falador's West Wall:_

Alzorf was pacing back and forth, before a larger army of werewolves. He surveyed each of them carefully, from their sharp claws to their red eyes. They just blankly stared at him, listening attentively.

"How your kind acted back at Draynor Manor was unacceptable! Master Zamorak will not stand for this! If we fail this time, there is a good chance that it will be the end of me and all of you! Luckily, my new plan is practically fool-proof. As I mentioned earlier, it involves invading that castle." He pointed to Falador Castle through the break in the wall. "Allow me to review the attack plan once more…"

**AN: Hm, it looks like this is foreshadowing another fight! Look forward to the next chapter!**


	6. Castle Siege

**AN: Here's chapter six! Enjoy!**

Chapter 6: Castle Siege

Sir Tiffy Cashien was enjoying his usual cup of nettle tea at his usual spot in Falador Park. This would be the bench near the entrance to the park. Suddenly, the hoary-haired man heard blood-curdling screams to his left. He winced and rapidly rotated his head approximately 90 degrees. "What is all that ruckus? That scared the living daylights out of me! I nearly spilled my tea too!" he said heatedly to no one in particular. What he saw shocked him—an army of werewolves was invading the castle! He noticed that all the guards at the front gate were slain. All the adventurers who normally wandered the city were nowhere in sight. _They must have fled,_ he thought. He sighed, adjusting his monocle. "I never thought I'd have to take up arms ever again. However, my wish will have to be broken!" He reached under the bench and grabbed his white longsword in a brown scabbard. He stood up, looking nervous. "Saradomin, please help me!" he pleaded out loud, as he sprinted to the castle.

* * *

Captain Gaia, Ron and Jenney were still in the infirmary, watching over Pete as he rested. The captain had his arms crossed, while standing near the door. Ron and Jenney were at Pete's bedside, looking down at him with concern. Then out of nowhere, a White Knight burst into the room. This caused everyone to turn around, of course. He raised his visor and shouted anxiously, "Sir, we are under attack!"

"What? By whom?" growled the captain.

"Werewolves, sir! We need you in the courtyard immediately, Sir Amik Varze's orders!" He lowered his visor and rushed out. Gaia snatched his two-hander in the corner, and put on his white full helmet.

"Come along if you want. I could use the help," he said hurriedly, shooting Ron and Jenney a look. He then stopped a knight running down the hallway. "Soldier! Stay here and guard the patient here!" he commanded.

"Yes, sir!" the soldier replied, saluting.

"All right, come on!" Gaia beckoned the duo. "There's no time to dawdle!" The team of three hastened out the door toward the courtyard.

As they arrived, a battle was already occurring. Several werewolves were fighting against the White Knights. Neither side seemed to be winning or losing at the moment. Ron put on his slayer helmet and Jenney, her rune full helmet. "This could get messy," predicted Ron. Jenney nodded in agreement. Gaia raised his sword with both hands. The other two warriors drew their scimitars, as well as positioning their shields. Just then, Captain Gaia spotted his superior, Sir Amik Varze, leader of the White Knights. His wielded a white longsword and kiteshield. He wore standard White Knight armor (no helmet), along with a white cape with a yellow trim.

"Sir Amik! I have come to aid you, milord!" he bellowed, running over to help him battle a small horde of werewolves. Just then, Ron saw a figure standing at the entrance to the courtyard. This person was none other than Sir Tiffy. He donned Proselyte armor, minus the helmet.

"Fiends! I'll send you back to the hellish region from whence you came!" cried the elderly man. He held his sheathed sword in front of him, and swiftly drew the blade within. He then tossed the scabbard aside. "Now, meet your fate!" He raised his weapon and charged at a random group of werewolves.

"Ron, we must help him! He's too old to fight on his own!" begged Jenney.

"You're right, Jenney. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be a Proselyte right now. Let's go!" The two friends rushed over to the knight in order to assist him. Before Ron knew it, he, Jenney and Sir Tiffy were back to back. They were surrounded.

"Fancy meeting you here, old boy! It's been a while since we last met," recalled Tiffy.

"We can catch up later. For now, we have a fight to win!" declared Ron. The three warriors hacked through the crowd of foul beasts. Tiffy almost lost his face when a werewolf took a swipe at him. "Sir, behind you!" warned Ron. The Temple Knight turned around and slew another werewolf that was about to bite his head off. He wasn't out of the woods yet; another lunged at his unprotected flank. Ron hurried to that spot and held up his shield. The wolf-man slammed against it with a loud _clang_ noise, causing him to fall backward. Jenney ran in front of him and bloodied the beast with a few quick, fatal slashes.

Meanwhile, Sir Amik Varze and Captain Gaia were fighting another group of werewolves. Gaia executed a smash attack on one of them, and the long blade became lodged in its brain. This obviously killed it on the spot. He then wrenched his sword out of the corpse. Sir Amik swung his weapon at a werewolf that was attempting to claw at his throat. He successfully chopped one of its arms off (it screamed in agony as he did so), and then drove his sword through the creature's heart. It instantly perished. "Dammit! They just keep coming! How many of these accursed beasts are there? " he asked rhetorically, as he yanked his weapon out of his victim. "We're losing too many men! I don't know how much longer we can keep this up!" Little did he know that things were about to get worse.

* * *

Alzorf was again standing before the Dark Wizard's Tower. This time, he was speaking with Lord Daquarius, the leader of the Black Knights. He wore black armor, a black cape with a yellow trim, and a black full helmet. He also carried a black kiteshield. However, he was actually holding his helmet under his right arm. The Black Knights (a.k.a. the Kinshra) were once aligned with the White Knights, but constant disagreements separated them. Now, they hate each other with a passion. The knight and the Zamorakian were positioned in front of an army of Black Knights. They all wielded black longswords and kiteshields. Black armor and full helmets covered their persons. They stood straight and stared forward. Daquarius glanced at his men, before looking back at his new ally.

"How much did you say you would pay me?" he demanded forcefully. "As much as my men and I despise the White Knights, we won't trust you unless you show us the cash!" He ran a hand down his scabbard, which contained a black longsword.

"Calm yourself, Daquarius. I'll see to it that you receive a handsome reward. I give you my word," Alzorf answered. "Just make sure you capture those pests, Ron and Jenney. I already told you what they look like."

"All right, but you better not be conning us! I'm not putting my men at risk for nothing!" he barked. "Their safety is important to me." He then turned to his troops. "Okay, men!" he announced. "We will be facing our most hated enemy, the White Knights! With the help of my accomplice's werewolves, we will finally defeat them in battle! Now storm that castle, and don't come back until victory is yours!" He pumped his fist into the air, and his soldiers cheered their leader. They then marched into Falador unopposed.

* * *

Back at the castle, a group of three White Knights were clashing with a smaller cluster of werewolves. Once this cluster was eliminated, one of the knights spotted a sea of black advancing on their position. "It can't be…!" he said, taken aback. "This definitely means trouble. We should warn Sir Amik and the captain ASAP!" The three soldiers ran off to inform their superiors. "Milord, milord!" one of the knights cried. "I think the Black Knights are coming to help our present foes! What should we do?" The head White Knight wasn't pleased.

"What do you mean, 'you think?' Do you know, or do you not?"

"I do! It looks like there are at least 100 of them, all headed this way!" Sir Amik could only grumble at this news.

"Okay, it seems like we have no other choice," he muttered under his breath. "Everyone, listen up!" He tried to shout over all the quarreling. "Prepare yourselves for enemy reinforcements! The Black Knights are coming!" All of a sudden, around 30 Black Knights spilled into the courtyard. The rest stayed behind as backup. They started slashing their way through the White Knights, who attempted to block their advance. Unfortunately, ten of them made their way past the human blockade. They advanced on Ron, Jenney and Sir Tiffy. The White Knights were far too busy with werewolves and the rest of the Kinshra to assist them. One of the knights spoke in a stern voice, as the rest surrounded the trio.

"We came here for only Ron and Jenney. Stay out of our way, old geezer." The warrior removed his helmet, revealing an all-too-familiar face to Ron.

"How dare you call me that!" fumed Sir Tiffy. He was then conked on the head by a hilt, rendering him unconscious.

"Lord Daquarius," Ron said, with venom in his voice. "I thought I saw the last of you the previous time we met."

"Well you were wrong, weren't you, _Proselyte_?" He spat the last word. "Anyway, I don't have time for games. Seize them!" His troops stepped forward. Ron and Jenney tried with all their might to resist, but they were overwhelmed. They felt their helmets being removed, and a blunt blow to their heads. Their world then went black.

**AN: What did you think? Review if you want!**


	7. Captive

**AN: Here is chapter seven. Must I say more?**

Chapter 7: Captive

Ron managed to slightly regain his consciousness. Everything was blurry, though. He noticed that he was being dragged across the ground. He was too weak to raise his head. He heard very faint battle noises in the background. He assumed he was far from Falador Castle, probably somewhere on the path to Taverly or Varrock. After also noticing that Jenney was being dragged as well, he lost consciousness again.

* * *

Ron forced his eyes open. He found himself in a jail cell. He looked around it for a moment. He noticed that it was completely empty, except for a skeleton limply sitting in the opposite corner. There was also a torch on each of the three walls, their flames crackling. _Where am I? What happened to the White Knights? _he wondered silently. He looked to his left and saw Jenney there, her head on his shoulder. She was apparently asleep. "Hey, Jenney," he whispered. "Wake up." Jenney stirred.

"Mmm…" She slowly opened her eyes. "Where the heck are we?" she whispered back, looking around.

"It seems familiar somehow…" said Ron. "Wait, I remember! This is the Black Knight's hideout." He then realized that they had been stripped of their weapons. Just then, Alzorf and Lord Daquarius walked up to their cell.

"Well, well… it seems like you're finally awake. Good, good…" said Alzorf, with a sneaky tone. The duo just glared at them.

"Glower at us all you want, it doesn't matter. It won't get you anywhere," sneered Lord Daquarius. He unlocked their cell and entered, shutting the door behind him. His associate stayed on the other side, remaining silent. He then drew his sword. "Alright, we want answers. My colleague has told me that you two know about something called the Demon Idol. Where is it? Do you have it?"

"I don't have to tell you ANYTHING!" Ron shot back. The Black Knight beat him on the forehead with the hilt of his sword, leaving a bruise. Jenney looked away for a brief moment in fear.

"You're right. You don't have to say a thing. However, it will hurt if you don't!" he said slyly. He then roughly grabbed Ron and held him tightly, sword to his throat. "I'm going to ask you one last time. Where the hell is it?" he snapped. Tears started to well in Jenney's blue eyes. "Stop your crying, you bitch!"

When Jenney heard that last word, something snapped. Her tears stopped completely. Her eyes displayed an evil-like stare, absent of kindness. She clenched her fists, and grinded her teeth.

"Let… him… go!" she hissed. Her voice contained pure hatred. "Also, nobody calls me that and gets away with it!" The knight did not show the slightest sign of fear.

"Really? What are you going to do about it?" She screamed angrily and lunged at him. With one swift kick to the gut, he had her on the floor. She was clutching her stomach and coughing. He just snickered at her, belittling her attempt to harm him. After what just happened, Ron finally admitted it.

"We returned it to the Varrock Museum the other day. That's all I can say," he mumbled reluctantly.

"There! That wasn't so hard, now was it? That's all we needed to know, so I won't kill you or your little girlfriend! Ha, ha, ha!" he sniggered, sheathing his weapon. He exited the cell, locking the door once on the other side. He and Alzorf ambled away, as he asked, "Now, about that reward we discussed…" When they disappeared around the corner, Ron rushed to his friend's side.

"Jenney, are you okay?" He rubbed her back, in an effort to relieve the hacking. "You're not coughing up blood, are you? He _did _kick you with a metal-toed boot."

"No, I'm fine. I just need to rest awhile," she croaked.

"Okay. If you need me, I'll be right here." He then stared into space. _I only hope Pete can find us, before it's too late.

* * *

_

"Retreat, on behalf of Lord Daquarius! Fall back to the rally point! Our objective has been completed!" a Black Knights captain commanded. All the werewolves and Black Knights started quickly filing out of Falador Castle's courtyard. In their wake, they left the severely battered White Knights behind. They had to face it: They had been defeated. They were outnumbered from the start. Sir Amik and his men were exhausted in the aftermath.

"Soldier, status report!" Sir Amik ordered to a random knight, with irritation in his voice.

"We have lost approximately 50 men," the soldier reported. "Around 30 have been wounded. Sir Tiffy is among them."

"Well then, get our wounded to the infirmary immediately! On the double!"

"Yes sir! Right away!" The knight saluted and went to go help with the living casualties. Captain Gaia then got his boss' attention.

"Milord, our sources told me that two of our allies are missing!" he proclaimed.

"WHAT? Who are they?"

"Ron and his friend, Jenney. They were apparently captured by the Black Knights."

"Are you talking about Ron, the warrior who single-handedly rescued me from the Culinaromancer?" The captain nodded. "Then gather up a search party and find him! He's a very important individual to us! He and his friend were most likely taken to Lord Daquarius' hideout in Taverly Dungeon."

"I will do that sir!" He saluted and made his way to the infirmary. _First, I have someone to check upon._ When he got to his destination, he observed that Pete was still relaxing.

"Pete!" The young warrior turned his head in the voice's direction.

"What's up? What was all that noise before?"

"Never mind that. Your friends have been kidnapped! I'm rounding up a team of searchers to look for them. How are you healing? I believe you would be an asset to the search effort."

"I feel better now. After all, I've been resting for quite a while now. I'm not the type who likes to lie in bed all the time." Pete got out of his bed, grabbing his whip and shield from his bedside. "I think my wound healed enough. I'm ready to go." He rolled up his whip and clipped it to his belt. He then grabbed his armor and put it on.

"Very well. Follow me—I plan to include 20 other knights in this. We should hurry, though. The sun is setting." Pete followed the captain out the door and into the courtyard.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the Black Knight's Hideout:_

Lord Daquarius and Alzorf were both kneeling before a Zamorak altar in the front of the dining hall. This room contains two long, wooden tables. Two candle brackets are on each table. Several chairs are positioned at each table as well. A familiar voice of malice was then heard.

"Ah, Lord Daquarius. I see you are helping my friend here. Have you figured out where my idol is?" The Black Knight leader was the first to answer.

"Yes, we do. I interrogated one of our captives, and he gave in. It's currently in the Varrock Museum. We intend to take it back tomorrow, because my men are exhausted from a recent battle."

"It's good to know that you finally know where it is. I'm tired of this game of cat and mouse. I'll be sure to generously reward you two when I unleash my wrath on Gielinor," Zamorak said with heinous pleasure. The two men bowed their heads.

"Thank you very much, Master Zamorak," they said in unison.

"Oh, and another thing. I heard you say something about two captives. Who exactly are they?"

"They are Ron and Jenney, master. We were unable to capture Pete," replied Alzorf. Zamorak cackled loudly.

"Well, I'm glad at least two of those fools are no longer trouble. I still have one concern about entering Gielinor, though. My annoying brother Saradomin will more than likely try to stop me," he said, in an irritated tone. "He'll fight back with his Icyenes, centaurs, lions and everything else he created. Since his level of power is practically identical to mine, I will have a hard time accomplishing my goal."

"But master, isn't there some way you can harness the power of your idol to exceed his?" Alzorf proposed. The god was quiet for a moment.

"Of course! By utilizing the power of the idol, I can finally overpower my bothersome brother! Nice work, Alzorf."

"I live to serve you, master. Think nothing of it."

"I think it would be a good idea to prepare for tomorrow. The idol is probably under tighter guard this time," interjected Lord Daquarius.

"Yes, that does sound like a plan. I'm expecting you to return to me with my idol tomorrow. I will not accept excuses for incompetence! I will kill you both if I find out you failed," warned Zamorak.

"We will not fail," the Black Knight and Zamorakian promised at the same time. They stood up and bowed, before walking away to make preparations for their museum raid.

**AN: Uh oh! More trouble! I suggest you read on.**


	8. Rescue

**AN: This is chapter eight. I'm running out of things to say to introduce my chapters. Any suggestions? **

Chapter 8: Rescue

Pete and Captain Gaia were gathered with 20 other White Knights outside the entrance to Taverly Dungeon. This entrance consists of a square-shaped hole with a ladder leading down it. Several dead trees populate the area. The captain was briefing his team.

"Alright, men. This is a rescue mission! I've been given orders by Sir Amik to retrieve two important people being held captive! Use any means necessary to free them! Any questions?"

"No sir!" the knights cried.

"Okay, may Saradomin guide us to success!" The group of 22 climbed down the ladder, into the dark depths of the dungeon.

* * *

"Preparations are complete, Alzorf. I suggest we go now, and stop wasting time," said Lord Daquarius.

"I concur. I'm going to teleport us as close to the museum as possible. That would be outside the east gate, away from the guards," Alzorf explained.

"Okay, allow me to make one last announcement." He turned to the Black Knights who weren't coming along. "I'm counting on the rest of you to keep watch over the prisoners! Do not let them escape!" After that, Alzorf cast a teleport spell over himself, Lord Daquarius, and the ten knights accompanying them. They were gone in a flash of red light.

* * *

The 21 White Knights and the adventurer were walking through the damp, dreary dungeon. They paused when they reached a gate with two suits of armor on each side.

"Let's take a shortcut through here," said Pete, griping the cast-iron bars and pulling. Before he could fully open the gate, the two suits of armor came to life. They tried to attack the group, but they were too weak. Pete lashed out his whip and disassembled one of them in one strike. Captain Gaia swung his two-hander and took out the other one. Both suits fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Well then, shall we continue?" suggested Pete, opening the gate's doors. The team found themselves in a room with a cauldron of white fluid in the middle. To their right was another gate. They went through that one as well. They continued down the passage for a while, until they reached another room. This one had a lava pit, pieces of land on the lava, and some stone bridges leading to another part of the dungeon. Straight ahead of them was the entrance to the hideout. Dodging the poisonous scorpions, they eventually made it. They stopped at the entrance.

"Okay men, we have reached our destination! Be wary, for the captives are most likely well-guarded. Remember, we obviously need them alive," Captain Gaia announced.

"That's right," said Pete. "Now let's go!" The warriors bravely set foot into Black Knight territory.

* * *

"Intruders have breached our hideout! We need to prevent them from rescuing the prisoners!" a Black Knight captain hollered, as his comrades rushed in the direction of the invaders. He then spotted Captain Gaia running toward him.

"It's just you and me, Captain Damian. It's been a long time," the White Knight stated, without enthusiasm.

"Indeed it has," Captain Damian replied coldly. "En garde!" A white two-handed blade collided with a black one. The sound of metal hitting against metal was quite audible now. Clusters of knights were battling one another at the same time. Fortunately, three White Knights were able to slip past the quarrels and into the prison block. There, two people would be waiting…

* * *

"Jenney, do you hear fighting?" asked Ron, trying hard to listen. The blond girl looked at him curiously.

"Now that you mention it, I do. I wonder who is involved?" She looked up, thinking. Then, they heard armor clanking. When they looked through the bars of their cell, they saw three White Knights standing there. One of them whipped out a lock pick.

"We're here to bust you out of here, so be patient," the soldier whispered. The two adventurers nodded in acknowledgement. After fiddling with the lock for a minute or so, a faint _click_ was heard. "Okay, let's get you out of here. Follow us." Ron and Jenney exited their cell, grabbing their armaments and helmets from a nearby table as well. They then followed the knights out of the prison block, and into the "entrance hall" where all the fighting was occurring.

* * *

"Curse you, Gaia!" choked Captain Damian. Gaia had him on the floor. His helmet was removed, and he was coughing up blood. As if through some miracle, the outnumbered yet determined White Knights managed to defeat their adversaries. They only lost three men; the casualties on the other side were more severe.

"I will finish him," insisted Pete, walking up to the captain. "May I?" He holstered his whip and stretched out his hand. The White Knight seemed to understand what he meant. He nodded and handed Pete his two-hander. The adventurer held the blade above his head, the tip pointed downward. "Any last words, Zamorak worshipper?"

"Yeah: Zamorak will destroy all of you!" the Black Knight spat. Pete, unmoved by these malicious words, stabbed the sword right into a kink on Damian's armor. This killed him in a matter of seconds. The knight was sprawled face down and motionless on the red carpet, deceased. The surviving Black Knights cowered, as Pete gave the sword back to its original owner. Then, the three White Knights came over with Ron and Jenney.

"Sir, we have located and rescued the two warriors!" reported one of them.

"I'm glad to see that you two were able to come in time," said Ron with relief, regarding the captain and his friend.

"It's no problem, Ron. We're friends, after all," said Pete. "Anyway, let's leave. Who knows what will happen when Lord Daquarius finds out what we did to his top captain." He looked down at Damian's lifeless corpse in disgust.

"Right," everyone replied. Moving hastily, the team of heroes left the hideout.

* * *

Four guards were standing at the east entrance to Varrock, conversing with one another. Since they do nothing except stand guard all day, what they talked about was quite obvious.

"Man, it's so boring standing here all day! Nothing exciting ever happens here," one of them wined. "The only good that comes out of this is the fact that we get paid. At least we can afford to support our families now."

"You're right about that," another one answered, twirling his sword nonchalantly. Just then, they heard rustling among a bunch of nearby trees. "What's that sound?" The sentries just watched intently. A huge blast of fire then came bursting through the foliage.

"What the—" The guards were incinerated before the sentence was finished. All that was left were four piles of ashes, laden with armor and weapons on top. Alzorf, Lord Daquarius and ten Black Knights stepped out from their hiding spot.

"Ah, you've got to love the Flames of Zamorak spell," Alzorf said, rubbing his hands together. "It proved useful to threaten the runes out of those random adventurers we happened to meet. I should have plenty for more spellcasting."

"Anyway," interjected Lord Daquarius, "I think we should continue our mission. We're only wasting time standing here." As they approached the gate, they discovered that an adventurer was blocking their way in.

"What are you Zamorakians doing here?" the swordsman demanded. "It can't be good, whatever it is!"

"That's very observant of you. Swell job," Lord Daquarius said, with bitter sarcasm. "Just who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Rock Lord, and I will not allow you crooks to enter this city!" the adventurer retorted, drawing his dragon longsword from the scabbard on his back.

"Out of our way, vermin," Alzorf commanded icily. "Otherwise, you will deeply regret it." He readied another Flames of Zamorak in his hands. Rock Lord stood his ground, holding his kiteshield in front of himself. "You think a measly metal shield can protect you from THIS?"

"Wait, Alzorf. Save your strength. Leave this guy to me," Lord Daquarius insisted, holding up an arm in front of him. He then drew his longsword. "Go. I can handle him."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now go!"

Alzorf shrugged, and beckoned the Black Knights to follow him. They quickly ran past Rock Lord and into the city.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" he shouted after them.

"You should be less concerned about them, and more concerned about what I will do to you!" The Black Knight leader asserted. Their fight began with the simultaneous collision of their weapons.

**AN: There have been several fight scenes in this story. Does that bother any of you? Well, review anyway!**


	9. Museum Raid

**AN: Hello, my fellow readers! This chapter is the longest one so far, so please take your time reading it.**

Chapter 9: Museum Raid

"Okay, so we all know what the idol looks like, right? I don't want any screw-ups! Do you hear me?" Alzorf whispered hoarsely. The knights nodded nervously. Nightfall had already arrived, and the crickets were chirping. He and the small group of Black Knights were crouched behind a cluster of bushes. They were looking through the foliage, at the front doors of the museum. "We just need to figure out how we're going to divert those guards over there." Two Varrock guards were standing on either side of the doors, slowly surveying the area. There was a lamp hanging on either side of the doorway. The candle lights of each illuminated the guards' steel armor. The Zamorakian pondered for a minute, as an owl briefly hooted in a nearby tree. "I should have expected the king to station additional security here, since those brats already returned the idol."

"Sir, I have an idea!" one of the knights piped up quietly.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Spit it out! We don't have all night!" Alzorf whispered harshly.

"_Maybe _you could cast a binding spell on them! Then we can find a way to sneak in afterward!" the knight suggested, feeling smart.

"There's one flaw in your plan, idiot. If I do that, they will most likely scream for help! The spell wouldn't sew their mouths shut!" Alzorf grumbled. The warrior looked down sadly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just trying to be helpful," he murmured.

"Whatever! Just follow my lead!" The Zamorakian pulled out a pouch from one of his broad sleeves. It was leather, and had a picture of a kalphite (a type of desert bug with pincers, antennae, six legs, and a somewhat spherical body) on it. He opened it. A swirl of violet soul energy came snaking out of the pouch, onto the ground. After a few seconds, a blue kalphite was standing before its master. "Go, my precious familiar! Lead those fools away from there!" Alzorf commanded, pointing to the sentries. The insect clicked its pincers in obedience. It scuttled quickly down the street, right past the guards.

"Hey! What in the name of Saradomin _is_ that thing?" one of the guards asked, cringing in disgust.

"Whatever it is, we cannot let it roam the streets. It may harm the citizens!" the other replied. "C'mon, let's kill it before it does anything drastic!" They ran after the kalphite, shouting and brandishing their swords. A vile smile spread across Alzorf's lips. He then turned to his partners.

"Well then, shall we continue our mission?"

* * *

"Say, you're pretty good! However, you cannot beat me, adventurer!" Rock Lord and Lord Daquarius had been fighting for a few minutes, but neither one seemed to be able to overpower the other. In other words, they were evenly matched. Rock Lord suddenly charged at the Black Knight, causing sparks to fly as their weapons collided again. "Face it, kid: You're going to be here all night. On the other hand, I don't mind. I have all the time I need," Lord Daquarius sneered, a smirk on his face.

"Let me clarify one thing. I'm _not _a kid. Also, I still have plenty of energy left, so don't count me out yet!" Rock Lord shot back.

"Perhaps I shouldn't then," the knight answered slyly. He applied his weight onto his sword, pushing the young swordsman away from himself. There was now a two- or three-foot gap between them. "Why do you choose to interfere anyway? Why don't you just be obedient and stay out of my way!"

"If I did that, I would be a traitor to my friends. I would never be able to live that down," Rock Lord said quietly, bowing his head slightly.

"Aw, how touching! My handkerchief is sobbing wet with tears! Boo hoo!" The knight feigned pity with more sarcasm.

"How dare you insult me in such a way!" fumed Rock Lord. "That's it! You just crossed the line! I will not allow you to toy with my emotions any longer! Prepare to die!" Lord Daquarius just roared with laughter.

"You really have no clue what you are up against, do you? Fine—if that's the way it's going to be, then I shall grant you an early death!" The Black Knight raised his blade threateningly.

"Bring it on, Zamorakian filth!" The two warriors lunged at each other at the same time, resuming their battle.

* * *

The pale moonlight illuminated the piece of onyx in the demon statuette's hands, giving it an uncanny glow through its glass case. It stood in its display case on the first floor of the museum, surrounded by several guards. Like the guards who were (formerly) outside, they were surveying the room. It seemed obvious that the curator received his request from King Roald. Alzorf used a surveillance spell to spy on the inside. It was a little drone-like eyeball floating stealthily around the room, taking in the features of it. After a couple minutes of espionage, it disappeared. The Zamorakian explained the plan in detail.

"Okay, here's the situation. There are a lot of guards in there, and their numbers are a bit larger than ours. I'm estimating around 15 or 20 men on the first floor. So here's what we are going to do: We'll split into two teams. Five of you will follow me through the front; we're team one. The rest will enter through the side doors; you're team two. Luckily, no one is stationed there. It's padlocked, but your swords should be able to slash the lock off. Once I blast down the front doors, the team not following me will break in through the other ones. Is this all clear?" There were silent nods all around. "Good. Now get into position!" Five of the ten knights walked around the building to the side doors. The ones remaining stayed with their superior. "Alright men, ready your arms." The warriors drew their long, black blades. Alzorf conjured a Flames of Zamorak in his hands. He then shot it at the doors.

BOOM! The doors were blown completely off their hinges and more.

The two guards standing on the other side of the threshold were instantly killed by the shrapnel. Alzorf came in with his team, constantly firing offensive spells. Upon hearing this, the other team of Black Knights sliced the lock off the other doors and kicked them open. They then set foot into the building, attack stances ready. The Zamorakians easily wiped out their ill-prepared enemies in a matter of minutes. However, more guards came from the second floor. This smaller group of six elites managed to eliminate the entire second team. These guys were equipped with rune armor—medium helmets, platebodies, platelegs, boots, gloves—and rune weapons, from two-handers to battleaxes to scimitars. Some even had rune kiteshields. This regiment was only used in emergency situations, like this one. Despite the typical weight of their armor, their reflexes were super quick. Alzorf had a hard time aiming his spells at them. _Their armor must be enchanted!_ he thought bitterly. _Damn! Why didn't I see that coming?_ After successfully expunging one of them, he was beginning to lose his patience. "Leave these annoyances to me! Just nab that demon idol and get outside!" he shouted angrily. He then called upon the power of the Ancient Magicks by muttering some foreign words under his breath. Suddenly, the warriors were covered in ice for a couple seconds. After that, they thawed but couldn't move (Ice Barrage). "This lasts 20 seconds. Now hurry up and do what I said!" The five Black Knights did as they were told. One of them smashed the glass case open with his sword hilt. Another snatched the idol. They hastened out of the museum, and waited for their boss to follow. Alzorf cast another Ancient Magick. This one made blood come squirting uncontrollably out of the victims (Blood Barrage). This finished them off. They regained movement, but fell down dead. The damage inflicted by the ancient spell caused pools of red body fluids to slowly spread from the bodies. Alzorf rushed to join his comrades. "I'll take _that._" The knight holding the statuette handed it to him. "Mwa ha ha! Finally!" he declared, holding up the idol victoriously. "Master Zamorak's idol is once again in my possession! Gielinor's doom is nigh!"

* * *

Rock Lord and Lord Daquarius had been fighting for at least an hour. They were breathing heavily, critically staring each other down. Both had minor cuts and bruises from close calls, but not much else.

"Well… I have to admit… you're… better than I anticipated. I haven't had a fight as challenging as this one since my rivalry with Sir Amik Varze," Lord Daquarius panted.

"Normally… I would take that… as a comment. But coming from you, though… sounds more like… sucking up," Rock Lord huffed.

"Believe what you want," the knight snorted. "I'm not here to admire your fighting style. I'm here to stop your interfering."

"Hey! Daquarius! We're done here! We have to leave immediately!" A raspy voice was shouting from behind Rock Lord. Lord Daquarius smirked, sheathing his sword.

"Well, it's been nice fighting you." He displayed even more sarcasm. "But I have to go now! I have more important things to do." The adventurer felt an unseen force holding him still.

_Oh no, a binding spell! They're going to get away!_ Alzorf appeared at his partner with only half of the knights he was lent.

"Where are the rest of my men? You better have a legitimate excuse!"

"Settle down! A group of elite guards ambushed us. Your men were no match for them. Besides, when you take risks like this, sacrifices are inevitable!"

"Alright, I get it! Let's just leave before your spell wears off!"

"As you wish." Alzorf cast the same teleport spell that he used at the Black Knight hideout.

"Hey! Don't run! Come back here so we can finish this!" he said heatedly, struggling futilely against his invisible restraints. It was too late. The villains were already gone. Seconds after they left, he was freed. _What was that statuette in that guy's hands? It looked significant, whatever it was. I better tell Ron and the others, fast! Where could they be? I know! I'll ask Sir Tiffy Cashien! He recruited Ron into the Temple Knights, after all._ He sheathed his longsword and whipped out his bag. Noticing he didn't have any runes, he closed it. _Well, off to the bank then!_ _I should have a teleport tablet to Falador in my account._ He jogged off to the east bank.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at the Monastery next to Edgeville:_

Abbot Langley sat at his desk, with a quill in hand. On the desk was a piece of blank parchment, a lit candle in its holder, an empty envelope, and a small bottle of black ink. "I need to send this letter to its recipient as soon as it's finished," he mumbled, in a voice that wasn't his own. It contained divine gentleness not of this world. "Time is growing short. I must hurry!" He dipped his quill into the ink and started writing his message. After a few minutes he signed the letter, folded it, and then put it into the envelope. He sealed it, and scribbled the name of the recipient onto the front. _I think I'll go to Falador now. A person I can rely on will be there soon._ He stood up from his seat, and walked into the other room. "Brother Jered, can you look after the monastery while I'm gone? I must deliver this urgent letter." He held up the envelope. The monk he was talking to was sitting on a bed. He was blond with a bald spot on top of his head. He wore brown monk robes, like Abbot Langley's. A prayer skillcape was slung on his back. This meant that he was a master at praying. He looked up and blinked.

"Well, sure I can. However, if you don't mind my asking, whom is that for?" He pointed to the envelope. He did not seem to notice Langley's change of voice.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid that's a secret. So, do I have your word?" he asked gently.

"Indeed you do Abbot," Jered sincerely promised. "Don't concern yourself with this place. Go run your errand." Langley smiled at him, and then teleported in a flash of white light.

**AN: Can anyone guess what is up with Abbot Langley? If not, read on! I reveal it eventually.**


	10. A Mysterious Letter

**AN: This is another one of the longer chapters. It doesn't necessarily mean it's boring, though! Have fun!**

Chapter 10: A Mysterious Letter

"Tea, master and friends?" offered Alathazdrar. He was carrying a tray with a teapot and three cups on it. Ron, Jenney and Pete were sitting at Ron's teak kitchen table the next morning.

"Yes. That'll do, Alathazdrar," said Ron. The servant placed the tray in the center of the table. He bowed and left the room, into the study. Ron turned back to his friends, laying his arm horizontally on the tabletop. "Hey guys, don't you think it's weird that Alzorf and Daquarius weren't at the hideout earlier?" he said questioningly.

"Yeah, it is. They could have been out looking for the idol. If that's the case, we should begin our search at the museum real soon," Pete said, taking his teacup and pouring himself some tea. "We should check to see if they actually _found_ the idol."

"I agree. After all, we're the only adventurers who know about this so far," Jenney said. She mimicked Pete with the teacup and kettle. "Ron, are you going to have yours?" she asked, regarding him curiously. Ron snapped out of his daydream.

"What? Oh… yeah. Thanks Jenney," he replied, partially chuckling. He then poured his cup of tea.

"For a minute there, it seemed liked you forgot it was there," she joked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Alright, we should leave right after we're done with 'tea hour' here," Pete said urgently. "You two know as well as I do that we can't take this lightly. The fate of Gielinor lies in our hands now. Therefore, we can't spend too much time here." The three adventurers hurriedly drank their hot beverages, being careful not to scald their tongues. They left the house immediately afterward.

* * *

"Thank you, sir! We look forward to serving you again!" the banker said happily, as Rock Lord exited the not-so-crowded bank. Just then, he overheard a random group of three adventurers conversing at the bottom of the steps. One was a female mage, equipped with full light mystic robes, a Saradomin cape, and a fire staff. Another was a male who had full dragon armor (with the full helmet), a Bandos godsword, dragon boots, and a strength skillcape. The last one was another male, who sported red dragonhide armor (with the red dragonhide coif), a rune crossbow, ranger boots, and an obsidian cape. He decided to listen, but he continued walking slowly. He didn't want to be labeled as an eavesdropper.

"Hey! Did you guys hear the news? There was a heist at the museum last night!" the warrior said excitedly.

"I heard!" the mage responded with the same level of enthusiasm. "Some sort of statuette was stolen."

"The city had to end up repairing the front doors. They were completely blown out of their frame," the ranger mentioned seriously, briefly closing his eyes. "They found all the guards inside dead. I think that's scary." After hearing this, Rock Lord had heard enough. He decided to walk faster, and made his way to Varrock Square. Sighing, he broke the teleport tablet. In a flash of light, he was teleported to Falador.

Rock Lord's feet hit solid ground. Right away, a monk with gray hair and a bald spot on top saw him. He walked up to the adventurer, smiling warmly. "Hello there, friend! My name is Abbot Langley. I'm from the monastery that neighbors Edgeville."

"What's a holy man like you doing here?" Rock Lord questioned. He could feel a gentle, divine aura emanating from this person.

"If it's not too much trouble, could you please give this to Ron? It's extremely urgent." The monk offered him an envelope. _Ron _was written on it in cursive letters.

"Sure…" Rock Lord said, with skepticism. _Something about this man is strange… but what is it? _He hesitantly accepted it.

"Thank you very much, young man. I must ask you to please refrain from reading it until Ron sees it. Something tells me I can trust you," the monk said kindly. He then walked away, leaving the confused adventurer to the task.

_Well, if this is that important, I should hurry up and find him._ He inserted the letter into his pack. He then went to the garden to see Sir Tiffy.

* * *

"Excuse me, Sir Tiffy?" the swordsman asked. "I have a question. Where is Ron? I'm his friend, Rock Lord."

"Ah, it's always a pleasure to meet a friend of his! The last time I saw him, he was headed to his home. It's located in Taverly," the retired Temple Knight explained.

"Thank you, sir. I'll be leaving now." He rushed out of the garden and Falador altogether. Just when he was about to walk to Taverly, he saw Ron and his two friends walking away from his destination. They were headed toward the stone signpost, where he was.

"Hey! Guys!" he shouted, casually jogging toward them and waving.

"Hello once again, Rock Lord. What brings you here?" Ron asked, waving back. "Got any interesting news to share?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I was asked to give you this letter, Ron." Rock Lord pulled the envelope out and showed it to him. "I was told to not read it until you did."

"Who gave this to you?" Ron wondered, taking and examining it.

"A monk named Abbot Langley. I wonder what he wants with you, though."

"Well, that's what I want to know." Ron opened the envelope, unfolded the letter and began reading. The other three gathered around him to read the text, too.

_Dear Ron Destiny,_

_There is something of utter importance that I must bring to your and your friends' attention. I understand you are deeply involved with something called the Demon Idol._

_I would like to speak with you directly about a matter concerning this evil artifact. Like I mentioned earlier in this letter, it is very urgent. Therefore, it would be wise to come see me. I will be waiting at the monastery near Edgeville._

_Regards,_

_Abbot Langley_

"Well? What do you guys think we should do?" Ron asked indifferently, looking up from the letter. "Should we ignore it or heed it?"

"I think we should listen," Jenney concluded. "He is a monk, after all."

"To me, that second to last sentence sounds like a mild threat," Pete opinionated honestly, pointing to it. "I don't think we should do it."

"I think we can trust him," Rock Lord said. "There was something odd yet trustable about him."

"Okay, we'll go then," Ron decided, refolding the letter and inserting it back into the envelope. "It's a good thing that we're not far from him."

* * *

Lord Daquarius and Alzorf were standing in front of the Zamorak altar in the Hair of the Dog Tavern's basement. Alzorf was proudly holding out the Demon Idol.

"Master Zamorak! We were able to recover your idol! Aren't you proud of us?" He sounded quite unlike himself. To be frank, his tone was on par with that of a kid who has an adrenaline rush from a roller coaster ride.

"Well done. I had a felling I could rely on you two," Zamorak said, with evil pride. "However, there's still one problem we need to solve."

"What is it, master?" Lord Daquarius asked quizzically.

"There is a spellbook that is also needed. In it contains the incantation necessary to release me from my captivity. It's called the Book of Haai," Zamorak explained. "However, you need to make haste. I'm sensing an individual with equal power to mine. It's most likely Saradomin. I don't know what he's planning, so I want you to hurry and find that book!"

"I can do that master, but what am I to do with this idol for the time being?" Alzorf asked worriedly.

"I can take it to my hideout. It should be safe there, with my men guarding it," Lord Daquarius suggested, with confidence.

"Alright, I trust you." The Zamorakian turned back to the altar. "Where is it located, master?"

"It's supposed to be in the Kharidian Desert, in a hidden temple. I know this because during the God Wars, a group of warriors loyal to me hid it there. They wanted to hide it from the Saradomists. Fortunately, they never found it. It's a good thing too—the book also contains an incantation to seal me into the Demon Idol."

"But, if the idol and the Book of Haai are complementary, wasn't the idol hidden with the book, too?" Alzorf asked.

"Well… yes, but a group of archeologists found the idol while exploring the temple. That really enraged me!" Zamorak snapped.

"So… _that's_ why I first saw it in the Varrock Museum," the Zamorakian said.

"Okay, I suggest we stop talking, and get moving. It's only a matter of time until those adventurers find out about the book," Lord Daquarius interrupted. "They found out about the idol, didn't they?"

"Yes," Zamorak hissed irritably, "I'm tired of them always getting in the way. You better get going, Alzorf. Failure is still unacceptable!"

"I promise I will bring it to you unscathed, master." Alzorf bowed respectfully, and then handed the idol off to Lord Daquarius.

* * *

Ron, Pete, Rock Lord, and Jenney were in the courtyard of the monastery. They were waiting for their host to appear. During this wait, they decided to drum up a conversation.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you all something. I finally saved up enough money to buy a Saradomin godsword! Isn't that awesome?" Pete exclaimed joyfully.

"Yes Pete, that's totally awesome," Ron answered unenthusiastically.

"Ron, don't feel jealous. I'm sure you can make that much someday," Jenney said soothingly.

"Jealous? What makes you think I'm jealous of him?" Ron asked awkwardly, his face red.

"Hee hee! You can't hide that from me, Ronald!" Jenney giggled.

"Did you just call him 'Ronald?' Really?" Rock Lord asked, surprised.

"Je… Jenney! Please don't call me that!" Ron stuttered, embarrassed.

"Okay…" Jenney agreed, giving up. Abbot Langley then came out into the courtyard.

"Ah, there you are, my friends! I'm Abbot Langley. Come to my office. It's too risky to discuss this matter outside. The four adventurers followed the holy man to his office in the "Prayer Guild." Once they were in it, he shut the door behind them.

"Now," he started, sitting behind his desk, "There is something I must tell all you." He folded his hands. "First of all, it is not Abbot Langley who is currently speaking." The group was absolutely flabbergasted, eying their host incredulously.

"Well, who is it then?" Ron asked curiously.

"Believe it or not, I'm Saradomin. I have possessed Abbot Langley's body in order to tell you a prophecy. This explains the change in his voice, and the aura your friend here felt." He gestured at Rock Lord.

"A… prophecy?" Pete asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes. You see, Zamorak will successfully enter this world. Unfortunately, neither I nor you can do anything to stop it. However, I can indirectly aid you in defeating him. Unlike him, I cannot interfere directly in Gielinor's affairs. However, he can because of the Demon Idol."

"Wait a minute," Ron said, holding up his hands in alarm. "Are you saying that the Demon Idol is already in Zamorak's grasp? If that's the case, Alzorf and Lord Daquarius _did _find it."

"Saradomin" nodded. "It's sad but true. Here's what you need to do: Seek the king of England. He can help you further. Request his assistance in the battle against Zamorak.

"The king of England…" Rock Lord thought for a moment. "Do you mean King Arthur?"

"Correct. He is a legend, after all."

"Okay then," Ron said, convinced. "It's off to Camelot, then!"

"I wish you all the best of luck. I know you can do it," Saradomin said serenely. The four friends filed out of the office, ready for their next task.

**AN: Wow, now the great Anglo-Saxon hero is going to be a part of this story! Reviews are welcome!**


	11. Off to Camelot

**AN: This chapter isn't quite as long as the previous two. Also, I believe this one is better than the preceding one. Happy reading!**

Chapter 11: Off to Camelot

"Do you really think King Arthur is going to help us, let alone believe us?" questioned Pete, his arms crossed as he walked.

"Well, maybe… if we explain our situation well enough… or if we had some evidence," Ron said tentatively, shrugging. The heroes were once again on their way to Ron's house. They decided to use one of Ron's two portal chambers, since it would be easier to do that. They didn't want to waste more runes.

"Well, we'll never know unless we ask him," Rock Lord said positively. They were now crossing the gates into Taverly. They followed the paved path to the purple house portal, and stepped into it.

"Ron Destiny!" everyone shouted. The portal transported them to their destination at once.

* * *

The harsh sunlight was beating down on Alzorf as he trekked through the Kharidian Desert. He grunted as he struggled to read a map of the desert Lord Daquarius gave him earlier.

"Why is this map so hard to read?" he muttered in frustration under his breath, rotating it in an effort to comprehend it better. "I wish I could utilize a magic carpet. However, if I do that, my appearance would just arouse more suspicion." He started to feel hot. It must have been scorching, like the pits of Karamja Volcano! He knew he couldn't lower his hood. If he did, the people of the desert would know his… secret. It would eventually spread all across Gielinor, and then… he would be in a lot of trouble.

"Let's see… right now, it looks like I've arrived at the Bandit Camp." He stopped abruptly, looking up from the map. Guess what—or rather, whom—he saw?

"What are you doing here, you Zamorakian infidel?" Desert bandits. They typically wear white desert clothes, along with a red cape and towel-like headwear. Their weapon of choice is a dagger. This village contained two groups of bandits: pro-Zamorak ones and pro-Saradomin ones. To his misfortune, these ones were pro-Saradomin.

* * *

"Alright everybody, into the white portal!" announced Ron, pointing to it for emphasis. The three others practically dove into it. The owner of the house did the same. After the typical sensation of teleporting, Ron landed in front of Camelot Castle. This majestic structure proudly stood along the road, between Seer's Village (a village of seers, obviously) and Catherby (a fishing town). His pals were waiting for him before the wrought iron gates.

"Well, shall we go in?" Rock Lord questioned, reaching for the bars. Before his hands reached them, there was a flash of light. After their moment of temporary blindness, the warriors saw a wizard dressed in blue robes and a wizard hat standing before them. He had a gray beard along with his attire. Slung on his back was a Legend's cape, identical to Ron's.

"Welcome! I am Merlin, the greatest wizard who ever lived. I foresaw your arrival. May I ask what your business is here?" the wizard asked mildly. For the second time already, Jenney spoke up.

"Um, we're here to talk with his highness, King Arthur, sir. If it's not too much trouble…" Her voice trailed off. Merlin set gentle eyes on her.

"My dear, of course it's no trouble! You don't have to be bashful about it," he said, his voice benign. "Follow me." He turned to the gate. With one simple wave of his hand, the gates opened by themselves. The adventurers then accompanied the mage into the castle grounds.

* * *

"Who do you think you are, showing your face here? You'll die for that!" a bandit shouted boldly, pointing at him with his steel dagger. Alzorf just smirked, followed by cackling.

"You think you can hurt me? Do you even know who I am?" he said without fear.

"That does not matter. You'll be dead soon!" The rest of the bandits in the group surrounded him. Yawning, Alzorf conjured a Flames of Zamorak. He almost effortlessly fired the spell at the group. They were all burned to a crisp in a matter of seconds.

"You people don't scare me. You all are nothing but fodder to me," the Zamorakian said with boredom, ambling past their charred corpses. "Now get out of my way!" The other pro-Saradomin bandits cowered as he passed through. The pro-Zamorak bandits cheered. Eventually, he found a way out of the village. _Ah, I see,_ he realized suddenly. _The temple is here, near the pyramid north of Sophanem._ He pointed to a spot on the map. It was marked with a black "X." He then stared intently into the distance. _Then there is where I'm headed next.

* * *

_

The adventurers skimmed the entrance garden as they walked casually through it. There were ornately-carved fountains, small statues, busts, and elegant plants all around.

"Wow, this place is gorgeous," breathed Jenney. Her eyes were sparkling with awe as she took in her surroundings. They eventually made it to the front doors. Once across the threshold, the four friends immediately set their eyes on King Arthur and his eight Knights of the Round Table. This included: Sir Bedivere, Sir Gawain, Sir Kay, Sir Lucan, Sir Palomedes, Sir Pelleas, Sir Tristram, and the most famous one, Sir Lancelot. They were currently enjoying a meal at the famed Round Table.

"Ah! We have guests!" King Arthur declared merrily, raising his goblet into the air. "Come, please sit down; we were just eating dinner! Men, make room for our visitors!" The knights scooted over. Merlin brought over some chairs with a levitation spell. The heroes then sat down (after removing their weapons from themselves), carefully observing the knights sitting around them. Merlin then snapped his fingers. Magically, a plate of food and a goblet of red wine appeared before each adventurer. Specifically, on the plates were veal, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables.

"Everything looks really good!" commented Rock Lord, picking up his fork and knife. Everyone else did the same.

"Your Highness," started Ron, cutting his veal, "may we discuss something important with you?" He took a bite and chewed slowly.

"Why, of course. What's on your mind?" his highness replied, apparently interested. He took a brief sip of wine.

"I was wondering if you know about the Demon Idol," Ron said questioningly. The king's eyes widened. His knights began mumbling among one another. Merlin remained silent.

"Of course I know about it. I have heard the legends. Why do you ask this?" He seemed uneasy about such a topic.

"Well, it's like this," Ron continued. "We were indirectly told by Saradomin that Zamorak is going to use it to gain access to this world. This calamity cannot be prevented, but it can be stopped. We came here to seek your help, your highness. We've heard about your incredible adventures, and how much of a legend you are. We also know about your sacred sword, the Excalibur." There was a moment of silence.

"Do you have any proof that this apocalyptic event will occur?" King Arthur obviously had doubts about this.

"Well, no… but we really need you, King of the Britons," Ron said timidly.

"Arthur, I don't think he's lying. He speaks the truth," Merlin said sincerely. King Arthur flashed Merlin an affirmative look, before turning back to Ron.

"If Merlin says you are being truthful, then I trust you. Fighting villainy is what we do best. Therefore, I agree to help you on one condition," King Arthur said, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"Which is…?" Pete questioned impatiently, waiting for an answer.

"You all have to accept and beat my challenge. I need to test your skill, strength, and determination. The challenge is a duel, with my knights!" he said, proudly waving a hand at his men. "Here's how it works. Each of you will draw a name of one of my knights. Whichever name you select, he will be your opponent."

Merlin conjured eight seemingly blank cards. "There is a name written on the backs of each of these cards," he explained. "Who will choose first?"

"Ladies first, I always say," Ron suggested chivalrously, laying a hand on Jenney's shoulder. Her face went red for an instant. She stepped up to Merlin, who was holding out the name cards. She hesitated, and then selected one at random. Turning it over, she read, "Sir Gawain."

"I'll go next," Ron said. He picked a card. "Sir Lucan." Rock Lord was next in line.

"Sir Bedivere." Lastly, Pete went.

"Sir… Lancelot? Hey! Winning against him is humanly impossible!" he wined. "Can I swap?"

"I'm afraid you cannot. Once you choose, that person will be your opponent. No exceptions," King Arthur said flatly. Changing his tone, he cleared his throat. "Let the games begin!" he announced, rubbing his hands together.

* * *

The Demon Idol was now in the Black Knights' hideout, under tight surveillance. Lord Daquarius was in his quarters, sitting at his desk. His sword was in its scabbard, leaning against the desk. On the desk was a lit glass lantern. He was rifling through some documents.

"I really have to be more orderly," he muttered, madly organizing the papers. _Wait, what's this doing here? This has been done already. I don't need it anymore._ He was looking at a formal contract regarding a random Black Knight's execution. It had Captain Damian's signature on it, followed by his own. When he saw his late top captain's name, he remembered his fate. He was dead when the leader came back. _Zamorak's conquest of Gielinor will act as payback for his loss._ He threw the paper away. He gathered up the rest of the documents, and put them into a drawer. He then leaned back in his chair. There was a knock at his door. "Yes? Come in."

"Sir? I have a question," a Black Knight stated, walking into the room.

"Well, what is it?" he asked nonchalantly, putting his arms behind his head.

"I think we should put the Demon Idol in a safer location. Just putting it on the altar doesn't seem to be secure enough," the knight said worriedly.

"If you're that worried about it, go ahead and put it into the safe, then. Is that all?" He sounded lax.

"Yes, it is. Thank you sir, I'll place it there right away!" The soldier saluted and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

After a long trek through the torrid, unforgiving desert, Alzorf came upon a piece of white rock sticking out of the sand. Studying it more closely, he noticed a "Z" symbol carved into it.

_I'm guessing I have to prove I'm a follower of Zamorak._ He stood back, readying a Flames of Zamorak. He then shot it at the rock. After the side effect of smoke, the symbol was glowing a bright red color. The ground started to shake. A large structure rose out of it, in front of the rock. The doorway was rectangular, with a Zamorak symbol on the door. It opened vertically and slowly, revealing inky dark innards. _Somewhere_ _beyond this door is the final key to Master Zamorak's coming! I've finally made it!_ He briskly strode into the temple, wondering what awaited him within.

**What will happen next? Find out in the next chapter!**


	12. The Camelot Challenge

**AN: Here is chapter twelve, after a several-day delay! To be honest, I got a little lazy while writing the challenge fight scenes. So if they're not all that wonderful, you have me to blame.**

Chapter 12: The Camelot Challenge

King Arthur, Merlin and the knights brought their guests to the rooftop of the castle. There, a small building stood in the middle of it. Rather, it _seemed _small…

"Here is where you will be dueling. Here are the rules: 1. No magic or ranged attacks. Only melee is allowed. 2. Shields cannot be used. 3. Whoever knocks his/her opponent down first wins. Any questions? Pete raised his hand.

"Yeah, I've got one. Isn't the loser going to be killed?" he asked, rather concerned. The King of the Britons just laughed.

"Of course not, lad! Merlin cast a protective spell over this facility, so no fatalities will occur within it. So attack for real! Any other questions?" Jenney raised her hand next.

"Your Highness, that building looks too small to fit us all," Jenney said observantly.

"Ah, I'm glad you mentioned that. Actually, Merlin's magic is also responsible for making the inside bigger than the outside! Okay, are we all prepared?" Ron was fishing through his bag.

"Aha! Here it is! I decided to bring my Neitiznot helmet instead of my slayer one," he informed his team, putting it on. It was a Freminnik helmet with wings on it (specifically from the Freminnik Isle of Neitiznot). Everybody else put their helmets on, too.

"Alright then," the king said, dismissing Ron's announcement, "shall we go?" He threw open the doors to the fighting room. They then walked inside. It really _was_ vast inside! It was empty for the most part, with the exception of a few crates and training dummies. These objects were pushed against the wall, in order to make room for the challenge.

"Whoa! This room is huge!" Pete exclaimed, looking around.

"It truly is impressive," Ron said, agreeing with Pete's comment.

"Challengers, ready yourselves!" King Arthur announced. The Knights of the Round Table drew their swords. Ron, Jenney, Pete and Rock Lord did too. "Now, each fighter is to go to a separate corner! Make sure there is enough space to maneuver!" Each set of challengers did as they were told. "Merlin, set up the barrier!" The wizard threw his arms into the air, causing dark gray walls to separate the four groups of two. This way, they won't interfere with one another. Each warrior was intently staring the other down. "Ready, get set, FIGHT!" On that note, the one-on-ones began.

* * *

The temple was dark, dank, dreary… the list goes on. Alzorf had been walking down a long, seemingly perpetual corridor, for what felt like several hours. He also noticed that there were strange markings on the walls, thanks to the torch he snagged. They were a bunch of curvy letters and symbols. He figured it was probably some sort of ancient language. He neglected it, and focused on his primary objective.

_How bizarre… I haven't encountered any opposition yet. I should remain wary anyway. Something may jump out at any time._ His thought was correct. After advancing a few more steps, he heard a buzzing noise behind him. Jerking around to face it, he found himself standing before a swarm of scarabs. _Hmph. Nothing but measly desert insects. _He launched a Fire Surge spell, which instantly turned them to ashes. Turning on his heel, he continued. _I have been traveling down this part for a long time, _he complained in his mind._ It's starting to become tedious._ Before he knew it, he was relieved and confused at the same time. Within a matter of seconds, he came to a fork in the passageway. The path split into two separate paths. _This is just great. Now what do I do?

* * *

_

Ron was breathing heavily, his eyes feverishly trying to find holes in Sir Lucan's defense. _I expected something like this. He is a Knight of the Round Table, after all._ He increased the grip on his scimitar with both hands. _I have to win. If I don't, there will be no stopping Zamorak!_ Sir Lucan lowered his weapon for a brief moment.

"Both your mind and body must be balanced in combat. If one outweighs the other, there is no chance of victory," he said knowledgeably. "Do you have that characteristic?"

"Well…" Ron really didn't know what to say.

"Continue to battle, if you wish. However, it would be wise to heed my advice." Lucan dramatically raised his longsword with one hand, his eyes displaying an indifferent gaze. Ron clenched his teeth. "I'm ready," he said with quiet confidence.

"Very well, then." Lucan charged at his opponent and vertically swung his blade. Ron parried the attack by holding up his dragon weapon horizontally. Sparks flew at that instant. A loud metal-to-metal sound was emitted simultaneously. Lucan was applying almost all his weight to his attack.

_Argh… he's strong, that's for sure. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up._ Ron was struggling to hold back his opponent's sword. He felt his strength ebbing away. _No… I refuse to fail Gielinor AND my friends!_ He suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline. Taking advantage of this, he thrust his blade forward, forcing Lucan backward. That's when he saw the gap. He lunged like a leopard, striking Lucan's armor. The knight stumbled backward. He was both flabbergasted and impressed.

"Well done! It seems you do indeed have what I mentioned earlier. Keep it up!" he congratulated.

"Don't comment me just yet. This isn't over!" Ron retaliated, weapon ready. He rushed to Lucan, swinging it horizontally with one hand. Their blades collided once more, but this time Ron had a plan. Using his free hand, he whipped out his dagger and thrust it into the knight's platebody. Distracted by this, Lucan was open again. Ron used the blunt end of his sword to knock the wind out of him. Following that was a series of fast slashes, which bewildered the knight even further. To top it off, a blow to the face from the flat side of a dragon scimitar brought Lucan to the floor. Ron was victorious!

* * *

Pete was slammed into wall back-first, hard. He was an amateur compared to his opponent.

_How am I expected to win against the best knight in Arthur's court? I bet I look like a fool right now. I'm being thrown around like a rag doll! I'll be on the floor soon if I don't do something!_

"C'mon, is that all you got?" Sir Lancelot questioned egotistically, looking down on his opposition.

"No, it isn't. You are far from beating me!" Pete said hotly, lashing out his whip. It wrapped around Lancelot's sword like snake on a stick. "Now I have you!" He attempted to yank the weapon out of his adversary's hand. Sadly, his triumph only lasted so long.

"On the contrary, it is _I_ who has _you_," the knight said smartly. He foiled Pete's plan by jerking his sword backward, causing the whip to fly out of its owner's hand. He casually pointed his blade downward, dropping the Abyssal weapon onto the floor. "Ha! Take that!" Pete's face formed a twisted smile.

"You're really in for it now, pal. Be ready to enter a world of hurt!" he said lowly, reaching for something on his back, behind his fire cape. He drew out a long, heavy, and elaborate two-handed blade. At the tip of its hilt was a star-shaped symbol: Saradomin's insignia. "Surprise! Let's see how well you can ward off my godsword!" He ran up to a surprised Lancelot and brought it down vertically on him. The knight tried to block it, but the applied force and the weapon's weight were too much. Apparently, his arrogance said he could block the attack. His sword fell to the floor with a clatter. Pete swung the sword one last time, forcing Lancelot onto the floor. He actually beat Arthur's best knight! What a shocker!

* * *

"Since you are a lady, I'm going easy on you," Sir Gawain explained politely. "Respecting women is a part of chivalry, so I must follow it as a knight of honor."

"Okay, if you insist," Jenney replied, shrugging. _I have to win this… for Gielinor, for my friends, for… _Her mind seemed to hesitate._ Ron! _The last word seemed to fire her up. Her double-handed grip intensified around her scimitar's hilt. Arthur's nephew charged at his opponent, swinging his blade diagonally. Jenney could tell he was holding back. Call it woman's intuition if you must. _He really is going easy on me. He wasn't joking!_ She quickly jumped to the side, taking advantage of the gap in the knight's defense. She horizontally swiped her rune scimitar at that spot. Dazed, he was open to another attack. She executed a vertical slash onto his platebody. This caused him to stumble backward. To finish it, she quickly and forcefully butted him with her sword's hilt. That sent him to the floor, flat on his back.

"It does not matter who wins. As long as I have my honor…" Sir Gawain whispered gently.

* * *

Rock Lord found his opponent, Sir Bedivere, to be quite unique. This was mainly because he wasn't wielding a sword. Instead, he had a halberd.

"Wow, you sure… stand out among the other knights," Rock Lord said, eyeing the lengthy weapon in the knight's hands.

"Yes," Bedivere replied, admiring it. "I find this kind of weaponry amusing." Rock Lord rolled his eyes.

"O…K…" he answered slowly, not bothering to ask how or why. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Of course, young swordsman!" Without moving from his current position, the knight horizontally swung the bladed pole at his opponent's torso. Rock Lord bent backward, the blade part nearly shearing off his nose. "Impressive, isn't it? I am able to use the length of this halberd to my advantage." Rock Lord scowled.

_He's right. I have a long weapon too, but it's shorter than his._ He glanced at his dragon longsword._ What should I do? Perhaps… I could use that… _He looked down at his warhammer latched to his belt. _Yes! I shall dual-wield my longsword with my warhammer!_ He undid the blunt weapon and grasped it in his left hand. "Prepare to lose!" he declared, holding the two armaments in the shape of an "X." He ran at his adversary, both trailing behind him. The knight leaped back and slashed at him. "I though you would do that! I won't fall for it twice!" He jumped into the air, performing a jump slash with his sword (apparently his signature move). This struck Bedivere in the chest, dazing him. Rock Lord then speedily hammered his other weapon into his knees, which upset his ability to stand. It wasn't a doctor's hammer, after all. Rock Lord finished him with a dual-weapon move, while Bedivere was crouched. He swung both in an "X" form, which had enough power to knock him onto his back. Rock Lord succeeded with his challenge, too.

"I got carried away with my supposed advantage, and that is what caused my loss," Sir Bedivere realized, turning his head to glimpse at his halberd.

* * *

Finally, all four of our heroes successfully completed their challenge. Merlin, King Arthur, and the rest of the knights were waiting outside for them.

"Congratulations! I am severely impressed by your performances today! Especially yours, Pete." He turned to him and nodded. "Lancelot is my best knight, so it had to take a lot of skill to defeat him." He refocused his attention on everybody. "As promised, the Knights of the Round Table and I will aid you in your upcoming battle against Zamorak. However, it is getting late. Why don't we all turn in for the night?" Ron and the others agreed. "In that case, please show them to their rooms, Merlin."

"Right away, Your Highness." He gestured them to follow. The adventurers listened and followed the sorcerer to their chambers.

**AN: How were the fights? The outcomes? Anything else in this chapter? Please tell me in a review!**


	13. The Book of Haai, Found

**AN: To tell you all the truth, I actually had fun writing this chapter. Perhaps 13 is a lucky number of mine? Anyway, I have a challenge for all you current and former members of RuneScape. See if you can name all the quests Ron mentions later in the chapter.**

Chapter 13: The Book of Haai, Found

Eventually he had to choose. So he did (at random), and he selected the left path. It was the same as the preceding corridor—it had the same strange symbols. It wasn't as long, though. After a few minutes, he found himself in a large, empty room.

"Oh perfect," Alzorf grunted sarcastically. "What now? There's nothing here!" he shouted to no one, moving his torch around to see. He took a step forward. He then heard stone moving. Looking down, he noticed that he stepped onto a switch on the floor. It was disguised as a stone tile. _Oh crap. What did I do now?_ Well, he was about to find out. As if out of nowhere, flaming arrows rapidly shot out of the walls. Metal spikes emerged from random spots on the floor. Judging by the green substance on the tips, they were poisoned. Of course, something living had to be involved. Several scarab swarms made their appearance from crevices in the ceiling, walls, and floor. He was really in trouble now! _I don't have time for this. I must recover the book!_ He cast a levitation spell, which raised him into the air. As quickly as he possibly could, he flew toward the doorway at the room's opposite end. Luckily for him, he made it before anything could touch him. He took off down the hall after that, like bat out of hell. If he stayed to fight, he wouldn't have made it out alive. At this point, he could feel the presence of the Zamorakian manuscript. This hallway was even shorter than the last one. As a result, he was in another room in no time. It had torches lining the walls, burning brightly in their brackets. It was smaller than the previous one, but it had something the other didn't. Against the opposite wall was a lectern, holding a book of some kind. On both sides of it was a tall, intimidating statue of a black demon. The Zamorakian assumed it was the Book of Haai. Placing his torch into an empty bracket, he approached it. As he edged closer, he observed that it was dark red with a gilded border and spine. A gold "Z" was in the middle of the cover. "Finally, I have it! The Book of Haai is mine to use!" Alzorf cackled.

"I think not," a nonhuman voice asserted. Following these words was the appearance of a scarab mage. This creature was half man, half scarab. He wore purple magician's robes and a yellow staff shaped like a pharaoh's cane. He had big, buggy eyes and two antennae.

"Says who?" Alzorf asked angrily, tired of all the obstacles.

"Ah, yes. I do think it's an appropriate time for introductions. I'm Asim, the guardian mage of the Book of Haai," the scarab said, bowing his head slightly.

"Whoa, hold on a darn minute! Why would someone like_ you_ be guarding the book?" Alzorf questioned, vigorously pointing at Asim.

"Hmmm. You do seem to be confused. Please allow me to explain. When Zamorak's warriors came here during the God Wars to hide this text, Scabaras offered to help protect it. Zamorak had trusted him on this, since he kept himself secluded. He believed Scabaras could keep the book hidden, too. That explains why I'm here," Asim finished, gesturing to himself.

"Wait, Scabaras? You mean the scarab deity who is a member of the Menaphite Pantheon?"

"Yes, that is him. Since that's been taken care of now, why don't you tell me your name?"

"I am Alzorf, Zamorak's most trusted follower. Now enough with the small talk! Why are you trying to stop me from getting the book?" the Zamorakian demanded impatiently.

"It is my duty. If you are indeed Zamorak's 'most trusted follower,' you must prove it by defeating me in battle. Then you may have the book," Asim challenged.

"Fine. If it's a battle you want, then it's a battle you'll get!" Alzorf insisted, taking a fighting stance.

"You sure are easy to persuade. Let's not waste any time, then." Asim gripped his staff with both hands. They stared each other down, waiting for someone to make the first move.

* * *

_It was a bright and sunny morning when the ship docked in the port. Ron (sporting green pants, black shoes, and an unbuttoned, green short-sleeve shirt with two breast pockets and a white shirt underneath) crossed the gangplank onto the deck of Port Sarim, one of Gielinor's major ports. It was a seaside town, alive with drunk, almost drunk and sober sailors. He moved aside so several other people could disembark. He let the salty sea air blow onto his face, closing his eyes as it did so._

_ "So, this is the land of Gielinor… I just might like it here," he thought with interest, surveying his surroundings._

_ "Um, excuse me?" a nervous female voice said behind him. He turned around, adjusting his satchel to a more comfortable position. He saw a pretty girl with shoulder-length blond hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a blue short-sleeve shirt, a blue skirt, and brown shoes. "I believe we met during the boat ride here, sir. What is your name again?" she asked passively, her arms behind her back. She was eyeing him indirectly and blushing. Ron could tell she was being shy with him._

_ "My name's Ron Destiny, miss. What's yours?" he asked kindly. She awkwardly jerked her head to face him._

_ "Um, it's… Jenney. I was wondering if you…" She trailed off for a moment, her ocean-colored eyes looking down at the ground. Her cheeks were red. Ron couldn't understand why she was acting this way. Wait, was it possibly because she—_

_ "Would you like to grab a drink with me?" she blurted out, looking up at Ron again._

_ "Uh… sure," Ron said, slightly startled by her sudden question. He looked around. "I see a tavern over there." He pointed into the distance, to a building with a drunken sailor outside it, asleep. "Let's go." Jenney nodded and followed him, as he traversed the pier that was packed with newcomers, sailors, and adventurers. After squeezing past many people, the two new acquaintances entered the bar. It was noisy, due to the many jolly individuals enjoying a beer with their friends while conversing. Ron and Jenney sat down at the bar. The bartender approached them while cleaning a glass. He had a white apron on, and had short black hair and brown eyes._

_ "What can I get 'cha?" he asked._

_ "Two beers, please," Ron replied. The bartender prepared two glasses of ale and set them down in front of Ron and Jenney. He then returned to his cleaning. "Well, bottoms up!" Ron declared, gulping some of his beverage. Jenney just stared at him with pink cheeks, not touching hers. "What? Is there something on my face?" he asked, lowering his glass mug._

_ "What? Oh… no, there isn't. Actually, I have something else to ask you," she said shyly._

_ "Shoot," he responded, drinking some more beer. "By the way, you don't need to be shy. I'm not completely judgmental or anything," he added._

_ "Oh. Well, I would like to know if you want to be friends with me," she said, feeling more confident. "I would like to know more about you." Ron gave her a surprised look._

_ "Actually, you're the first person I've ever met who said that to me out of the blue," he explained. "You know what, I think I like you. Sure, we can give it a try." A happy smile spread across Jenney's lips._

_ "Really? Oh, thank you so much! I thought I'd have a hard time making friends in this new land. It's obvious that I wasn't wrong when I thought I could befriend you." She giggled conversationally. Ron said nothing. Instead, he warmly smiled back at her._

_ "I think I'm really going to enjoy my life here," he thought merrily.

* * *

_

Ron sat on his bed in one of Camelot's guest rooms, pondering the time when he first met Jenney. The white moonlight was shining through the windows, onto his dark blue comforter. A lit candle was flickering on the nightstand next to the bed. He was wearing his sleeping clothes, which consisted of a forest green collared nightshirt with matching night trousers and slippers. This outfit happened to match the color of his hair. All his equipment—weapons, armor, cape, everything—was in a mahogany wardrobe in the corner.

_At that time, I had no clue as to what I was going to encounter in the future. I've faced many challenges since then: slaying Elvarg the green dragon and two major demons, Agrith-Naar and Delrith; risking my life by traveling all over to search for ancient magic in the Kharidian Desert; saving Gielinor from Bandos' wrath through an avatar and a demented necromancer who uses food-based spells, and more. Even though I had to deal with all that, Jenney has always been a supporting friend of mine. We've come a long way since that day._ After the recollection of his past questing, there was a soft knock at his door.

"Ron? Are you still awake?" It was Jenney.

_Speak of the devil! Here she is now. _"It's open," Ron called. The door opened, and there stood Jenney in a white nightgown. For some reason unknown to him, she had her hair tied in a pony tail. She was also holding her sheathed rune scimitar in her hands.

"What's up? Is something on your mind?" he asked caringly.

"Actually, there is. I would like to talk, if that's okay with you," she replied gently.

"Sure, I'm here for you. What do you want to talk about?" Jenney shut the door, then ambled across the room and sat next to him.

"Well, it concerns the upcoming battle against Zamorak."

"What about it?"

"I don't know if I'm a good enough warrior to survive the battle." Jenney looked down melancholically at the sword on her lap.

"Do you really believe that? I don't. I think you're a wonderful fighter. You handled the last few fights we had really well," Ron said soothingly.

"Yes, but this one is a different story. It is practically a war against Gielinor's god of evil. I might die, but I don't want to." She started to cry quietly.

"Jenney, don't ever say that! I'll make sure you live through it, I promise. You're a good friend of mine, after all. I wouldn't be doing my job as one if I let you die," he assured her.

Jenney did not respond to her friend verbally. She answered by hugging him tightly, her tears moistening his shirt. After a minute of silence, she pulled away.

"I realize how much you care about me, but I want to learn how to become a better swordswoman." Jenney held up her weapon. "I would like you to teach me some attacks," she insisted. Ron looked at her in awe.

"Okay, if that is what you want. Follow me, but be quiet. We don't want to wake anybody," he said affirmatively. He went over to his wardrobe and retrieved his dragon scimitar from it, sheathed. "Let's go out into the courtyard. No one should be able to disturb us there." The two friends exited Ron's room, creeping past the rooms as quickly and noiselessly as they could.

* * *

Two spells collided, exploding like a mini supernova. Asim and Azlorf were thrown backward. They were both battered pretty badly. It had been a long battle.

"You have not beaten me yet, human. I still have some fighting spirit left inside me. I'm afraid you'll have to do better than you are now, if you wish to be victorious," the scarab mage said. Alzorf winced for a split second, while breathing heavily. Asim noticed this immediately.

"I see my poisonous magic has affected you. If it's going to impede your ability to fight, I suggest you stop now. You have my word that I will not harm you further."

"Like _hell_ I'm going to give up! I _need _that book! My master would never forgive me if I failed to get it!" Alzorf replied torridly.

"Very well, but don't say I didn't warn you!" The scarab-man shot another round of venomous magic at his adversary. Alzorf jumped to the side and cast a Water Surge spell at him. It hit, drenching the target with pressurized water. Asim was slammed against the wall again, sliding down it after the attack. That's when Alzorf saw his opportunity. He swiftly drew his rune dagger from his sleeve, chucking it forcefully at Asim like a throwing knife. By the time he opened his eyes, he found a dagger deeply lodged in his chest. It actually pierced his heart, too. Green blood started to slowly flow out of the wound, staining his robes.

"Impressive," the scarab wheezed. "You have shown me that you truly are a devoted worshipper of Zamorak. You may now take the Book of Haai." His bulbous eyes glazed over, and then his death followed. He sat lifelessly against the wall, nothing more than a shell now. Alzorf cast a cure poison spell on himself, and then strode over to the lectern, grabbing the semi-heavy text. Then he went over to Asim's corpse and wrenched his melee weapon out of it.

_Now that this book is mine, I must get out of here and report back to Master Zamorak in Canifis at once!_ _But first, I have to meet with Lord Daquarius. He has the Demon Idol._ He cast a teleportation spell to the Black Knight hideout, leaving the deceased scarab mage behind.

**AN: Well? Were you able to figure them out? If you guessed Dragon Slayer, Shadow of the Storm, Demon Slayer, Desert Treasure, The Chosen Commander, and Recipe for Disaster, you were right!**


	14. Final Preparations

**AN: Hello, loyal readers! I'm sorry to say this chapter is the shortest one so far, but don't worry! Something exciting is going to happen in the next chapter!**

Chapter 14: Final Preparations

"…So you swing like this, then finish with a vertical slash. Got it?" Ron was demonstrating some moves to Jenney by swiping his scimitar at air. They had no idea how long they'd been practicing. Judging by the position of the moon, it was almost eleven o'clock.

"I think so," Jenney said, a hint of doubt in her voice.

"Try it out then," Ron said, lowering his sword and stepping back. Jenney attempted to imitate Ron's combat style. She wasn't perfect, but she did alright.

"Not bad at all! You've been doing very well. Anyway, how about we call it quits for tonight? I'd like to get some sleep," Ron said, yawning and stretching. Sheathing his weapon, he stared at the clear, starry sky. "What a beautiful night…" he whispered, loudly enough for Jenney to hear. He suddenly felt a warm hand holding his. He noticed she was indeed holding his hand.

"Yes, it really is Ron," she said quietly, gazing at the stars with him. After a couple minutes of stargazing, Ron's eyelids were beginning to droop.

"Okay, I'm going to bed. Are you coming? I don't want to leave you out here alone," he said tiredly.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm coming." Jenney followed Ron as he re-entered the castle.

* * *

_11:30 p.m._

The door of Lord Daquarius' quarters swung open. The owner was not happy about a random intrusion of his chambers.

"How dare you enter my chamber without knocking—!" He then realized he was shouting at Alzorf. "Oh. Uh… sorry about that. I thought you were one of my men." His faced turned a shade of red.

"Never mind that! I got the Book of Haai. Look!" the Zamorakian said excitedly. He held up the gilded manuscript.

"That's great! Why don't we summon Zamorak into Gielinor tomorrow? I'm beat," Daquarius yawned.

"What? No! We need to do it now!" Alzorf said hotly. "Master Zamorak has waited long enough!"

"Relax! The Demon Idol's not going anywhere. We have it locked up in the safe," the Black Knight said loudly, over his comrade's rant.

"Oh, alright. I suppose it can wait until tomorrow," Alzorf answered stubbornly. "In any case, I agree with you. We should get some rest, so we're not tired when Master Zamorak arrives."

"Great, I'll show you to your chambers. Let's put that book into the safe with the idol first." The comrades exited the room, ready for the coming of Zamorak the next day…

* * *

_The next day, around 10:00 a.m._

When the gang went downstairs for breakfast the next morning, they saw an unexpected guest sitting at the table with Merlin, Arthur and his knights. He was an elderly man with wispy, hoary hair and a chest-level beard. He was dressed in blue hooded robes with a white trim. There was an aura of divine kindness about him.

"Ah, good morning to you all! It looks like we have a very important visitor! This man says he's Saradomin. I didn't believe it at first, but Merlin said he's the real deal!" Arthur explained enthusiastically.

"Hmmm. Now that you mention it, I can feel his aura," Rock Lord said, taking a seat at the table.

"Hold on! How can you be here, Saradomin? Guthix didn't try to stop you? I thought you and Zamorak weren't allowed to interfere directly in Gielinor's affairs," Ron said, perplexed.

"Ah, yes. About that: It appears Guthix is 'sleeping' again. That is why I was able to do this," Saradomin replied calmly.

"We can talk about these things later. Let's have breakfast first," Merlin asserted, gesturing the three adventurers still standing up to the table. Ron, Jenney and Pete walked over to the table and sat down. Scrambled eggs and bacon with a glass of orange juice were on the menu this morning.

"So Saradomin," Pete began, forking some egg and eating it, "why did you come here today?"

"I came to tell you that this is the day Zamorak will enter this world." Everybody gasped, except Merlin and Saradomin. "Do not be alarmed," Saradomin continued. "I said I would help you, but I can only do so indirectly. My direct intervention may cause another god war, and I wish to avoid that. I do hope you understand," he finished.

"We do," Ron said sincerely. The others nodded in agreement. "By the way, how exactly do you intend to help us?"

"I'm afraid that's a secret. You will have to wait until the time is right," the deity answered solemnly. "Anyway, I suggest you all make your final preparations for today's battle. I predict it will commence at sundown, in the village of Canifis. Am I correct, Merlin?"

"You are. I predict the same thing," the wise magician responded.

"Well then," King Arthur declared, getting up and placing his hands on the table, "we shouldn't waste any time. We're training right after this meal, so be ready!"

"Right, Your Highness!" everyone confirmed.

* * *

_Later that day, after 6:00 p.m._

"Master Zamorak, preparations are complete. We are ready to summon you into Gielinor whenever you're ready," Alzorf stated, kneeling in front of the altar in Canifis.

"Excellent. I'm sorry you had to wait until sunset, but that's how it works. Before we begin, is your army ready, Lord Daquarius?" Zamorak asked.

"Yes, Master Zamorak. My men are stationed outside the pub."

"Good. Okay, listen to my instructions _very_ carefully. If you mess this up, I promise you will truly regret it!"

"I shall listen well, Master Zamorak," Alzorf said loyally.

"First, place the idol on my altar here." Lord Daquarius put the statuette on the evil altar. "Next, turn the Book of Haai to page 100 and chant the incantation." Alzorf started to chant some foreign words. As he did so, the Demon Idol's eyes lit up, as well as the onyx in its hands.

_Finally, my coming is near! I shall ravage the land like never before! The people will never forget the day Zamorak became the ruler of Gielinor!_

**AN: Well, well, well. It seems we are about to reach the climax of the story. I bet you can't wait to read what happens next!**_  
_


	15. Zamorak's Accession

**AN: This chapter is meant to be part of the climax of the story. So expect quite a bit of action and the like!**

Chapter 15: Zamorak's Accession

The heroes had just crossed the River Salve, into the gloomy atmosphere of Morytania. On the way there, they took the liberty of informing Captain Gaia, Sir Amik Varze and the White Knights about Zamorak. They didn't believe them at first, but Merlin was able to convince them otherwise. Sir Amik Varze had rounded up Captain Gaia and a decently sized army to join the group. You could say they had a fighting chance, even if they were about to be involved in a somewhat apocalyptic battle. Their numbers were substantial, and they made sure they were well-armed. Captain Gaia decided to grab a white scimitar and kiteshield from the castle armory, in addition to his two-hander. Sir Amik Varze carried a white scimitar as a sidearm. Sir Tiffy remained in Falador Park.

"We trained long and hard for this, so I expect each and every one of you to do your absolute best," King Arthur said.

"You can count on us!" Ron proclaimed, his fist raised. That's when they reached Canifis. Of course, the villagers weren't thrilled to see them. Nonetheless, they didn't attack. They just briefly glared at them, barring their teeth occasionally. Then, they saw a rather large collection of Black Knights standing outside the Hair of the Dog Tavern. Even though they could see the other group, they made no effort to oppose them. They just continued to look stoic.

"What's up with _them_?" Pete said inquisitively, informally pointing at them.

"I have no clue," Rock Lord said apathetically, crossing his arms. Suddenly, Alzorf and Lord Daquarius emerged from behind the tavern. Upon seeing them, the good guys took their battle stances, hands ready to draw swords.

"Mwa ha ha! You're too late! Zamorak is already on his way!" Alzorf said, with avidity. Suddenly, the sky became pitch black. The villagers withdrew into their houses. A violent gale then commenced, blowing debris, leaves and other things around.

"What the—this is insane!" yelled Captain Gaia, over the howling wind. Everybody was far too busy trying to stand their ground. Jenney hung on to Ron to help keep herself steady. A pillar of crimson light came shooting out of the sky, into the center of the village. Out of it stepped a tall figure dressed in hooded red robes. The hood was up, so its face was darkness with piercing red eyes. Its hands were brown and dead-looking. The wind stopped. A low, nefarious laugh came from it.

"So, I shall start with these people. They absolutely _reek _of Saradomin," the figure hissed slowly, glowering at the warriors trying to hinder him.

"Master Zamorak! It's an honor to be in your presence!" Alzorf exclaimed, bowing before him. Lord Daquarius and his army did the same.

"It's a pleasure to see you too," Zamorak replied, looking down at them. "As promised, I will reward you for releasing me." He raised his hands before them, then cast some sort of sinister energy onto their persons. "There. Now your powers are enhanced."

"Oh, thank you so much, Master Zamorak!" they cried. Alzorf then handed the Demon Idol and the Book of Haai to his master.

"Heh heh… with this, my power is limitless!" Zamorak said victoriously, admiring the idol.

"You fiend! We won't allow you to do anything else of that nature!" King Arthur shouted, drawing Excalibur and stepping forward. "We WILL stop you, and that's a promise!" Zamorak turned back to the Anglo-Saxon hero.

"How amusing—you wish to challenge me. If that's how you want to play, I shall show you my powers! However, let's not do it here. I'm going to take us to a better place to fight," Zamorak said maliciously.

"Now wait a minute! If you're going to battle, then you're battling all of us!" Pete thundered, pointing a shaking finger at him.

"I don't think that would be very fair, my antagonized friend," the vile deity said coldly.

"Fair? You're a god! He's a human! It's not a fair fight at all!" Sir Kay raged, drawing his blade and gesturing it at him. "I cannot allow my foster brother to fight you one-on-one!"

"I don't have time to waste words on amateurs like you!" Zamorak snapped. Sir Kay charged at him like a bull that saw red. The evil incarnation sighed and effortlessly flicked a finger. The knight was blown backward, but he was caught by Sirs Lucan and Lancelot.

"I'm going to complete my business with the King of the Britons now. Why don't you keep them company, my children?" Zamorak said happily, as a variety of heinous creatures came from the column of crimson. This included, but wasn't limited to: hellhounds, greater demons, bloodvelds (repulsive four-legged monsters with a blood-sucking tongue), black demons, vampires, werewolves, animated skeleton warriors, and the like. Amid all that, Zamorak and King Arthur vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Well, I suppose it's time to get serious," Sir Amik Varze said, drawing his longsword. "White Knights, you're with me! We have a score to settle with the Black Knights!" Lord Daquarius and his men drew their weapons.

"Oh, I think we're going to have a _really _good time tonight!" Lord Daquarius declared. The small seas of black and white then assaulted each other on the other side of Canifis, leaving Zamorak's "pets" and Alzorf to the rest of the team.

"Knights of the Round Table! Cover our four young allies here!" Merlin ordered, as he and the knights formed a defensive circle around them. "Oh, and I wouldn't worry—Saradomin will help us!" he added promisingly, winking. The four young warriors educed their swords (two scimitars, a longsword and a godsword), ready for combat.

"Here they come!" Rock Lord pointed out. Sure enough, the wicked beasts were rushing to them, looking bloodthirsty.

"Listen, we can't have all this fighting in one place like this! It's too dangerous; we have to move these things out of here!" Ron said urgently.

"Good idea! We can lure them to the roads outside this village!" Sir Lancelot responded agreeably. The circle gradually moved to the village outskirts. Being the animals they are, they followed doggedly. Once they were outside the village and in front of the Slayer Tower, the crimson pillar disappeared. A bloodveld lashed it tongue out at Sir Lancelot. The famed knight cut it off with his sword. The ugly monster shrieked in agony, as blood squirted from the severed body part.

"Gross…" Jenney said, shivering in disgust.

"Ditto," Ron agreed. "Look out behind you!" He changed his tone abruptly, pointing in fright to the front of the circle. A black demon slashed its large, intimidating claws at the heroes. Merlin created a protective barrier before them, but it wasn't strong enough. Sir Lancelot, Sir Bedivere, Sir Palomedes and Merlin were shoved aside, knocked unconscious from a harsh landing. Out of the Round Table knights, that left Sirs Lucan, Kay, Pelleas, Tristram and Gawain.

"Leave this to me!" Pete roared, as he rushed through the gap and jumped—literally—at the chance to subdue the demon with his holy sword. It worked, and the abomination burst into flames for an instant. Afterward, all that remained of it were ashes. "Ha! Piece of cake!" he gloated, shouldering his blade.

"You fools! You still have me to deal with!" Alzorf bellowed, gliding toward them and shooting fireballs. Zamorak's creatures followed behind him. The group held up its shields to block the inferno spheres. They hit their prey with a tremendous amount of force, but the warriors managed to survive. Then, Ron saw Alzorf was solely targeting him next. At least, he _thought _he was doing so. However, he soon discovered…

"Jenney! He's going after you!" Ron rapidly glanced back at his allies, who were far too occupied at the moment. They had their hands full, trying to expunge the swarms of monsters. By the time he turned back to Jenney, Alzorf had grabbed her. He was grasping her tightly, with a rune dagger to her throat. She had extreme trepidation, but refused to scream.

"Heh heh… I know you won't attack me now. You would never risk this girl's life just to kill me, would you?" he taunted. He then muttered some inaudible words. This caused the blade of his hand-held weapon to extend about three inches and turn red.

_Unfortunately, he's right. I can't try to strike him—I might hit Jenney! I… I just can't bring myself to do it!_ Ron dropped his scimitar and shield.

"I thought so. Now why don't you—ah!" Alzorf yelped and released Jenney. She fell forward on all fours, breathing heavily. Ron rushed to her side to comfort her. "What the—who was that?" the Zamorakian said furiously, trying to wrench an arrow out of his shoulder. "Argh! Dammit!" He winced in pain as he pulled it out. The head was made of rune.

"You vile villain! I will not permit you to take a lady hostage like that!" an unknown voice announced. An archer suddenly appeared, equipped with blue dragonhide armor, snakeskin boots, a magic shortbow and a Saradomin cape. He had brown hair and brown eyes. "Hey there, are you two okay? I'm Tru34zn, a friend of Rock Lord's," he said.

"Yeah, we're fine. I couldn't be more relieved that you saved us," Ron replied with appeasement. He realized then that Jenney had passed out.

"I can take you someplace safe to help her recover, if you want," Tru34zn offered benignly, regarding Jenney with concern. "But first, allow me to ward off this guy!" he insisted, knocking another arrow and aiming it at Alzorf. Since he was clutching his bleeding shoulder, he couldn't dodge the arrow quickly enough. It intercepted him in the middle of his chest. He howled in agony as he fell to his knees. "Hurry! This way!" the ranger asserted, beckoning them. Ron picked up his fallen weapons, sheathed his sword, and inserted his shield into his bag. He then picked up Jenney and hastily followed his new acquaintance.

_Don't worry, Jenney. We'll be safe soon!

* * *

_

King Arthur forced his eyes open and got up. He found himself in another dimension, which was total whiteness and nothing else.

"Well, well… you're finally awake," Zamorak scoffed. "It's about time." Let's get things started, shall we? He snapped his fingers, and the dimension transformed into a war-torn battleground. It was complete with dead trees, fires, tattered white banners, and grassless ground. It was just dirt now. "Oh, do you like it? I do anything I please with this place. I thought this would be a suitable setting for our battle," Zamorak said.

"Whatever! Are we here to fight or not?" King Arthur shouted back, drawing Excalibur.

"Hmm, it seems we both agree on one thing. Let's have our actions speak for us!" Zamorak exclaimed. Arthur smiled smugly.

"I hope you're prepared for a tough fight."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm used to things like that." The one-on-one between Gielinor's god of chaos and the King of the Britons had just begun.

**AN: How was it? Was it exciting and suspenseful? Please review!**


	16. The Deciding Battle

**AN: This is it! This the epic, most important showdown in the story, so this is now the longest chapter. Anyway, on a side note I'd like tell you all that I'm planning on wrapping this up within one or two more chapters. I'm sorry if that's disappointing, but I'm starting to get tired of working on this particular fanfiction. I'm practically running on fumes for author's notes ideas. Okay, enough complaining. Enjoy!**

Chapter 16: The Deciding Battle

Zamorak shot a humongous fireball at King Arthur. It hit, engulfing him in fire. Ironically, he wasn't turned to ashes. When the flames dissipated, he only had a few burn marks on his face, armor and shield.

"What? How can this be? A mere human being should have been disintegrated by that!" Zamorak complained, completely astonished.

"I knew you would be surprised. Excalibur's scabbard has magical properties that protect me from serious harm," Arthur explained smugly, laying a hand on the enchanted object.

"I see. That doesn't change the fact that I'm going to defeat you! Prepare to die!" Zamorak conjured a large, double-bladed sword with a red handle. He held it then with two hands. "Let's just see how good you really are at swordplay," he sneered, grinning evilly. The two opponents charged at each other, their blades colliding at the same time. The skirmish was pretty fast-paced. Zamorak alternated his utilization of both blades while fighting. "I clearly have the advantage, Arthur!"

"Think whatever you like. I know I can win," King Arthur said fearlessly, successfully parrying each strike. They suddenly halted, jumping back from each other.

"I have to admit, you have sharpened skills. No wonder you are looked up to by so many," Zamorak said.

"Don't flatter me. It feels degrading to be commented by someone like you," Arthur replied, disgusted.

"Fine. Accept this as my apology then!" Zamorak ignited the blades of his weapon, and then dashed to his adversary. The King of the Britons brought up his shield just in time, as the fiery sword struck it.

"This isn't over yet," he said persistently, grinning confidently.

* * *

"Hey, look—she's coming to," Ron said to Tru34zn, who had his back against the wall. Ron was kneeling on both knees near Jenney. She sat up in her sleeping bag, moaning briefly. The two males looked at her as she did so.

"Where am I?" she asked, scrutinizing the environment.

"You're in a hidden cave underneath the Hair of the Dog Tavern," Tru34zn answered. Their temporary dwelling had only a few lit torches on the walls, so it wasn't that illuminated.

"Actually, this cave was formerly used by an organization called the Myreque. It's a group of warriors who fights against vampires," Ron added informatively. Jenney blinked curiously when she saw Tru34zn.

"Ron, who's that?"

"Oh, this is Tru34zn. He's Rock Lord's good friend."

"Please, call me Tyler," the ranger said cordially.

"Wait! What about the battle? Is everyone okay?" Jenney blurted abruptly.

"I can't say. The opposition out there is pretty rough," Tyler said solemnly, crossing his arms.

"I think you'd be an asset to our team, Tyler. We could use an experienced marksman like you," Ron complimented.

"Thanks, that means a lot." Tyler grabbed his bow, checking the string's tension. "How about we head out and give the others a hand?" Ron noticed he was grinning.

"Alright, let's go! Are you ready, Jenney?" She nodded.

"Yes, but where is my equipment?" Ron pointed to an old crate in a corner. Her shield and armor were lying on top of it. Her sword was leaning obliquely against it.

"It's right there." Jenney went to obtain her stuff. After she donned her armor and equipped her weapon, the three adventurers left the dungeon posthaste.

* * *

Once they were outside, Tyler, Ron and Jenney ran into Alzorf again. He looked very agitated. One should expect this, though; he _was _shot twice by a rune arrow.

"You… you'll pay for this…" he gasped, holding his wounded shoulder and pointing at Tyler with his other arm. He somehow yanked out the arrow that was in his chest.

"Oh yeah? How about I—huh?" Ron held an arm in front of the ranger.

"Leave him to me. I've had too many run-ins with this guy. I'll put him out of his misery," he said seriously. He then drew his scimitar and stared Alzorf down for about a minute.

"This is where you die. Any last words?" Ron pointed his sword at the Zamorakian as he spoke. Alzorf said nothing. In response, he just shook his head.

"You're lucky I can't cast spells or use my dagger in my current condition. To answer your question, I have none. Even if you kill me, Master Zamorak will avenge my death!" he proclaimed, coughing afterward.

"Don't count on it," Ron replied stoically. He slowly walked up to Alzorf, roughly grabbing his good shoulder. He then drove his scimitar right through his torso, which made the Zamorakian spit out a decent amount of blood. The dying victim then unintentionally laid his head on Ron's shoulder.

"You haven't won yet… fool," he whispered spitefully. Following this was motionlessness. He was deceased. Ron withdrew his sword and carelessly pushed his body onto the moist ground. It landed with a _thud_. Everyone was quiet for a moment.

"I wonder what he's hiding under his hood," Tyler said, breaking the silence.

"I couldn't hurt to check now, could it?" Ron suggested, reaching down to lift it. After he did so, what the three adventurers saw was appalling.

"Oh my goodness! He's got pure red eyes!" Jenney squealed in horror, covering her own.

"I would've never guessed…" Ron said, taken aback. "So he did have a reason for covering up his eyes. How he got them that way is beyond me."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. He's gone, so we shouldn't worry about it," Tyler said, crouching down to close Alzorf's eyes. "We have to go help the others! Follow me—I hear combat over there." He gestured at Slayer Tower. There were sounds of sword-clattering coming from there.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get moving then!" Ron asserted. The trio took off toward Slayer Tower, ready for whatever lied ahead.

* * *

"I don't know how much longer we can keep this up!" Pete shouted in frustration. The crimson pillar had reappeared, and more odious monstrosities were pouring out of it. The group was back-to-back and surrounded. Pete, Rock Lord, Sir Lucan, and Sir Kay were the only ones left. Sirs Pelleas, Tristram, Gawain, Palomedes, Lancelot, and Bedivere were badly wounded and taken to safety by Merlin (once he regained consciousness).

"We could sure use Saradomin's help right about now!" Sir Kay bellowed. Just then, his request was granted. A knight who wore Saradomin rune armor came out of nowhere. He wielded a rune longsword and kiteshield. Using a strange power, he eliminated all the surrounding enemies with one fell swoop of his weapon. More hordes came charging nonetheless.

"It's me, Saradomin. I said I couldn't get involved directly, so I decided to possess an empty suit of armor. As you may know, possession is indirect intervention," he said.

"Yeah, we do. Can we please dispose of these foul beasts now, _before_ we're killed?" Sir Lucan importuned the team. Everyone nodded, and prepared themselves for the incoming wave of monsters. Just then, a rain of arrows came out of nowhere and terminated a small pack of hellhounds.

"Who was that?" Rock Lord wondered. When he looked straight ahead, he saw an archer accompanied by Ron and Jenney. The trio hastened to join the group.

"Well, you're a sight for sore eyes, Tyler! This is Saradomin—he possessed a suit of armor," Rock Lord said.

"It's nice to see you Saradomin," Ron said jovially. Tyler had a skeptical look on his face.

"I'm not even going to argue whether that's true or not. It's just convenient to have another good guy. Right now, we have a war to win!" he responded, attaching his bow under his cape and to his back. He then drew a dragon dagger (p++) from a holster on his waist. "Let's waste these things!" Now that they were three people stronger, the allies felt like they had a better chance of winning.

"Bring it on!" declared Ron, holding up his sword and shield in a battle stance.

* * *

"Argh… why won't you just die!" Zamorak raged. He was continuing his usual sword-fighting method of alternating flaming blades.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. I've had many adventures in my day, and with that come many foes. I practically live to defeat evil," King Arthur said proudly, fighting back. Zamorak smirked.

"Well, you won't be living much longer. It's only a matter of time until I cause your demise."

"Apparently you don't know me very well. I possess Excalibur, a magical blade with incredible power. Unfortunately for you, I know how to use it!" Arthur executed a shield attack, which bewildered the god of chaos for a short duration. Quickly seizing the moment, he thrust the blessed sword through Zamorak's torso. The unholy deity shrieked in writhing agony as he stumbled backward.

"Argh! That stings! That is indeed no ordinary piece of weaponry!" He was clutching his wound. The King of the Britons examined the blade of his holy sword.

"Hmm, no blood… I expected as much. You aren't human, after all. That doesn't mean I can't destroy you!" he proclaimed. Zamorak's answer to that was low cackling.

"You still don't understand, do you? I cannot be killed! Like you said, I'm no human. My power is far superior to that of a mere mortal!" Zamorak literally glided at Arthur with blinding speed, weapon at the ready. However, before he could reach the Anglo-Saxon, he disappeared in a flash of white light. The incarnation of corruption screamed in anger.

"Curse you, King of the Britons! What trick is this?"

* * *

King Arthur was in a white void of nothingness. It looked similar to the abyss he was in before he fought Zamorak. He wildly scrutinized the area.

"Zamorak, you distemper on Gielinor! What have you done to me?" Just then, a beautiful woman with white hair and a dress appeared before him. Her voice was gentle and angelic.

"Greetings, King of the Britons and Hero of England. Do you recognize me?" she asked.

"The Lady of the Lake! What are you doing here?" he breathed in amazement.

"I have noticed that you are in combat with Gielinor's god of evil and chaos. I regret to inform you that you cannot defeat him with what you have now," she said sadly.

"If that is true, then what do I need to defeat him?" Arthur asked, eager to know.

"What you need is a little more support. First of all, allow me to tell you something useful: You cannot kill Zamorak. The only way to defeat him is to seal him within the Demon Idol with the Book of Haai. Fortunately, he currently has both with him."

"So, what I need to do is make him drop these objects?"

"Yes, but you will need a small boost in order to do this. Please accept my blessing, and may you see this task to the end." The Lady of the Lake raised her hands above her head, creating an orb of white light. Excalibur's blade started brimming with magical energy.

"Thank you very much milady," Arthur said courteously. The Lady of the Lake then vanished, and the void began to melt away.

_Go now, and expunge this abomination which plagues Gielinor!

* * *

_

The Anglo-Saxon hero was back in the realm to which Zamorak had sent them both. The abomination was waiting for him, seeming impatient and enraged.

"I don't know what you've been doing, but that doesn't matter to me. All I care about is killing you. You're the only obstacle between me and world domination. Just the very thought of it increases the amount of hatred I have for you!" Zamorak shouted loathsomely.

"To be truthful, I couldn't care less about what you think of me. Now be gone!" King Arthur sprinted toward his enemy, his shield held in front of himself. Zamorak readied his fiery weapon. When Arthur reached him, he felt the blow from Zamorak's sword on his shield. He then performed another shield attack, knocking the double-edged weapon out of its owner's hands. It landed a little less than a foot away, its blades extinguishing. Using the blessing he received from the Lady of the Lake, he slashed twice at Zamorak's torso again. This time, the wounds were making sizzling noises.

"What the—what is this? Not only does it burn, but I feel severely weakened as well," the evil deity huffed incredulously, falling onto one knee. "This can't be possible! I, Zamorak, god of all evil and chaos, was weakened by a human?"

"I'm not just a human—I'm an acknowledged hero known to many. The safety of everybody is my number one priority. Evil entities like you are a threat to that very concept!" King Arthur jumped back and performed an energy slash attack (a move that unleashes a streak of white energy, done by swinging a one's empowered sword vertically) at Zamorak. He launched himself into the air, dodging the strike.

"Ha! You missed!" he jeered, remaining in a floating position. Or so he thought…

"I think you need to take another look," Arthur said, pointing behind him.

"Huh…? Ahhh!" The streak had made a u-turn and struck Zamorak squarely in the back. He fell to the dirt-covered ground, shaking as if he were suffering a seizure. After he intercepted the ground, the Demon Idol and the Book of Haai tumbled out of his grasp. They stopped a couple inches in front of him.

"I'll take these, thank you very much," the king said sarcastically, sheathing a still-glowing Excalibur and scooping them up. He wasn't actually thankful to Zamorak. When he focused his attention on the red, gilded manuscript, it opened and revealed the sealing incantation by itself.

_How odd… it appears that the book reacted to my touch._ Holding the idol in his other hand, he began to chant the foreign text. The statuette's eyes lit up, and Zamorak started to change into crimson-colored energy.

"Nooo! Damn you! How did you know about that incantation, the book, and the idol?" he demanded fiercely, as he was slowly drawn into the idol's piece of onyx. "It's not public knowledge!"

"Let's just say an old friend helped me out. Now leave this world, and never come back!" The King of the Britons shouted, thrusting the Demon Idol forward. This somehow sped up the absorbing process, and within a few seconds Gielinor's god of chaos and evil was sealed inside the source of his own power. Upon completion of this, the double-bladed sword faded from existence.

"I sure hope my fellow knights and friends are faring alright back in Morytania," the king worried.

_Why don't you check on them, then?_ a soothing, bodiless voice asked. Before he knew it, the current scenery was fading away. The Lady of the Lake then graced him with her presence

"I will return you to the real world. Once there, you can see your companions. Oh, and congratulations on claiming victory over the odious one!" she added quickly, smiling warmly. The Anglo-Saxon king was swept out of the alternative realm, seeing nothing but white all the way back to Gielinor.

**AN: Do you think that I possibly made Zamorak fight well enough? Well, read and review!**


	17. The Conclusion

**AN: This is the final installment of this somewhat exciting adventure story. I'm really grateful for all those who stayed with it to the end, so thank you! **

**On a different note: The Neitiznot helmet that Ron used in chapter 12 has continued use through the end of the final battle (this chapter).  
**

Chapter 17: The Conclusion

Shortly after Zamorak's defeat—unbeknownst to everyone except King Arthur—his army of evil creatures started going berserk. Not only were they attacking the brave warriors combating them, but they were at each other's throats too. Everyone (Merlin had returned with the rest of the Knights of the Round Table earlier) was very confused.

"These things are even more dangerous now!" Ron yelled, as he watched two werewolves trying to tear each other apart. He then heard a shriek to his right. He wheeled around, and spotted a large sea slug crawling its way toward Jenney. _Oh no! I can't let it take control of her!_ "Oh no you don't, you overgrown slime-spitter!" he bellowed, rushing to it and slicing its head off. The opened neck sprayed green mucus like a fountain all over the ground. "Are you alright, Jenney?"

"Ye… Yeah. Thanks," she stuttered, her eyes wide with terror. "Eeek! Look out behind you!" She screamed, shaking. A greater demon was viciously reaching for Ron. To his misfortune, he was not able to react quickly enough. He covered his eyes. Just when his life was flashing before him again, no end came. Instead, he heard the sinful savage scream in misery. He hesitantly opened his eyes. He saw King Arthur standing boldly before him, his cape blowing in the breeze.

"Are you two okay?" he asked sympathetically. Both nodded awkwardly, in awe at what just happened. Saradomin then came over to confirm something.

"Have you beaten Zamorak?"

"Yes, he's sealed in this." Arthur pulled out the Demon Idol.

"Alright then. I can now dispose of these creatures by myself."

"How are you going to do that?" Ron questioned curiously.

"Now that Zamorak is no longer active, I can interact directly just this once. I just hope Guthix won't be mad when he wakes up," Gielinor's god of purity joked. The talking suit of armor suddenly stopped moving and dropped to the ground. An angelic entity appeared in the sky, waving its arms gracefully. It was Saradomin. "Now, return to the realm from whence you came!"

"That warrior really _was_ Saradomin!" Tyler breathed in disbelief, gazing at the elegant being.

The crimson pillar reversed its usual function. Instead of coughing up monsters, it vacuumed them back into itself. The heroes were hanging on to anything that could withstand the gale. When it died down, the column vanished for good this time.

"Knights of the Round Table, rally on me! We have some last-minute business to take care of!" King Arthur commanded, signaling them with one hand. After regrouping, they walked into Canifis. Saradomin floated back to the ground and followed them.

* * *

The Black Knights and White Knights were evenly matched. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. Plus, there wasn't much cover.

"C'mon! You call yourselves followers of Zamorak? We can crush our enemy with his guidance!" Lord Daquarius shouted fiercely to his men.

"White Knights, we shall be victorious because of Saradomin's guidance! Give it your all!" Sir Amik Varze proclaimed boldly to his men.

"Cease your quarreling!" a sudden voice boomed. It certainly received the attention of both armies. They halted their fighting at once. Saradomin, along with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, arrived on the battleground. "I am Saradomin, Gielinor's source of purity and peace! I am here to announce that Zamorak is defeated!" He turned to the Black Knights. "Surrender, for your leader is no more!" Lord Daquarius pushed his way to the head of his crowd.

"Why should we listen to you? You could be a fake; prove you're Saradomin!" he spat.

"Very well. Is this proof enough?" Saradomin used his powers to hold the knight leader and his entire army in strong, magical, invisible restraints. He then turned to Sir Amik.

"You are now permitted to prosecute these men to the fullest extent of your laws, for the crime of collaborating with Zamorak," he said.

"Yes, Master Saradomin," Sir Amik replied obediently, bowing.

"I must take my leave now. My work here is done, so I have no reason to be here any longer. Oh, and to the wise Merlin, the brave King of the Britons, and the noble Knights of the Round Table, good luck." In a flash of white light, he was gone.

"Well, you heard the man!" Sir Amik declared to the Black Knights, sheathing his longsword and drawing his scimitar. He then walked up to Lord Daquarius and pointed it at his throat. "You're all under arrest for conspiring with Zamorak! I will see you all in court! Take them away!" he ordered his soldiers. The knights saluted in acknowledgement. Just then, Merlin held up a hand.

"Please, allow me to teleport them to prison. You can come along, if you'd like."

"Sure, we'll come."

"Arthur and everyone else, you can find your own way back to Camelot, right?" Merlin asked, turning to them.

"Sure, we'll be fine. You do what you have to," King Arthur confirmed. The wizard then cast a teleport spell. He and the two armies of knights were gone in the blink of an eye.

"C'mon, men—we have some friends to congratulate."

* * *

"What in the name of Guthix just happened? Did Saradomin do this?" Ron asked nobody in particular.

"Yes, he did. We've won, my friends!" a sudden voice said. King Arthur showed himself with his knights shortly after his proclamation.

"We did? Hurray!" Jenney cheered, running up to Ron with her arms outstretched. He smiled with a mixture of joy and confusion.

"Jenney, what are you—" He was silenced by a long, passionate kiss on the lips. Jenney had thrown her arms around his neck. When she let go, Ron was blushing. He had no idea whether he should have been surprised or overjoyed. He had never kissed a girl before.

"Guys…" Ron stammered, embarrassed. His cheeks were pink.

"Awww, isn't that sweet? I never knew you were such a smooth operator, Ron!" teased Rock Lord, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Rock Lord, I'm not—ouch!" Pete slapped him hard on the back.

"Nonsense, we saw it with our own eyes!" he said merrily. As a last resort, Ron looked at Jenney. She just giggled and placed her arms behind her back. Her cheeks were pink too.

* * *

The ocean was making small waves rhythmically with the chirping of the seagulls. The sun was shining peacefully. It had been a few days since Ron and his friends fought an epic battle against Zamorak and his minions. Ron and Jenney were sitting on the beach in Catherby, relaxing and taking in some sun. Other adventurers were fishing for lobsters, shark, swordfish, and the like.

"The sun feels great, doesn't it Ron?" Jenney asked casually, allowing its rays passage onto her skin.

"Yes, it does. Not to change the subject, but you did well out on the battlefield," Ron said nicely. Jenney's face turned red.

"You think so? I didn't seem to be much help," she murmured, looking down at the ocean's surface. Ron shook his head.

"You showed bravery. I don't know if a lot of other girls could have accomplished what you did," he said solemnly.

"That means a lot, coming from you," Jenney said gladly.

"Well, shall we go? I bet Pete, Rock Lord, King Arthur and the others are probably losing their patience by now. His Highness did insist on having a party at his castle, in recognition of our victory," Ron said, getting up and offering Jenney his hand. She hesitated before grabbing it, apparently remembering yesterday.

"Okay… let's go," she replied after a brief pause. The two close friends walked together through the fishing village toward Camelot, still holding hands.

**AN: Well, that's all folks! (Ripped off from Porky Pig, right? Sorry I couldn't be more original.) I'm thinking about writing a sequel, so keep your eyes peeled for one! Oh, some final side notes: From now on, Ron will wear his Neitiznot instead of his slayer helmet. Even though I didn't mention it before, Pete will wear the same thing in the sequel. That's it; til next time everybody!  
**


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